Who I Am
by coolkitten12
Summary: Connect 3 are back on track after Shane's camp summer and are off on tour, with Mitchie and Caitlyn coming along for the ride. But what happens when new artist Eliza Austen and her sister Marie are added to the line up?
1. Meet Eliza Austen

**A/N:**** I'm finally back with a new story. After spending quite a few weeks reading other peoples' stories I made the decision to write one of my own. This, I hope, is quite different to a lot of the others out there. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything. If I did, do you really think I'd be posting on here and not working on a sequel?**

"Miss Austen, five minutes." I thanked the young man charged with the job of getting me to set on time, who quickly scurried away. Another day, another interview. They all wanted to know everything about me, Eliza Austen, 'music's new sensation'. I guess that's what happens when your first single and album go straight to number one. Don't get me wrong, I love how things are, the fame, the success, the fans screaming my name as I walk by. The thing is, I have a secret, and it's one I promised my "parents" I wouldn't tell when I decided to reach for my dreams. You see, this secret doesn't only affect me, it affects people I've never even met - Connect 3. Yep, the three brothers who rule the world of music at the moment. When my parents told me the truth I was shocked. Then angry. Now? Now I'm just determined to be better than them, to prove that I'm worthwhile. It's not really their fault. They don't even know. But I can't help thinking what my life would have been like if a different choice had been made.

"This next young lady is new to the music scene but is gaining incredible success. Please welcome to the stage, Eliza Austen." The crowd went wild as she walked across the stage, smiling and waving happily. She took her seat on the couch opposite Sam James, Hot Tunes evening chat show host. "Eliza, thank you for joining us."

"It's my pleasure Sam." It wasn't really. This was her fourth interview this week and it was only Tuesday. She'd much rather be at home watching a movie, but she'd made the choice to become a musician, and interviews were something which came with that.

"So tell me, what's it like to have all this success suddenly thrown at you?" Sam was notorious for tricking celebrities into answering questions in a way which reflected badly on them. Eliza had been warned to think very carefully tonight before she answered.

"It's amazing. This is something I've dreamed of for a while and to have people actually like what I'm putting out there, it makes me very proud."

*******

"Ooh she's good." Shane Grey was sat at home on one of his very rare nights off. He'd heard about Eliza Austen, the new girl in music land, but knew very little about her, so when he saw she was being interviewed by Sam James, the same guy who managed to get Shane to admit he was dating Mitchie, he thought he may as well watch it.

"What you watching?" Jason, the oldest of the Grey brothers, asked walking into the living room and taking a seat beside Shane, "Oh, is that Eliza?" Shane shot his brother a confused look.

"How did you know?" He enquired.

"I saw her on Good Morning America yesterday while you were asleep, she's really good at being interviewed, doesn't get flustered or anything, unlike someone." Ever since Shane had admitted his feelings for Mitchie on live TV, Jason and Nate would not stop teasing him. In the past he would have just told them to shut up and stormed off, but Mitchie had changed him after only one summer. She had taught him how to deal with everything better, and she had stolen his heart whilst doing so.

"She might be good with usual hosts, lets she how she copes with Sam." The two brothers continued to watch the interview and were very impressed as the young girl avoided being tricked.

"We'll be right back after this commercial break". The Hot Tunes jingle played and the cheesy adverts started.

"I'll admit, she did well" Shane stated, muting the sound. He couldn't stand listening to adverts, he felt they should be removed from programmes because they just spoilt them.

"Who did?" Nate asked, entering the room at that moment, his eyes fixed on his phone as he texted rapidly.

"Maybe if you looked away from your phone for two minutes and stopped obsessively texting Caitlyn you would know." Shane said with a knowing smile. Nate blushed and quickly finished his text before placing his phone in his pocket.

"I want to talk to her as much as I can before tour rehearsals and everything starts and we get completely drowned in work again. It's not like I get to see her every day for the next few weeks unlike you, Shane" Nate ranted.

Connect 3 started rehearsals for their tour tomorrow, and until they left their schedules would be filled with promotion, rehearsals and work outs. The tour which was supposed to happen over the summer but had been postponed due to Shane having a hissy fit, resulting in him spending the summer at Camp Rock. None of them minded though, it meant they got the old Shane back and made some new friends (and for Nate and Shane, new girlfriends).

"Stop bring jealous, you know you could have brought Caitlyn along." Nate had been complaining ever since Caitlyn had apologetically told them she couldn't join them on tour. Shane was getting sick of it and had begged Caitlyn to come, just to shut Nate up. He'd currently had no success and was hoping Mitche, Caitlyn's best friend from the summer, would be able to persuade her. He couldn't imagine what 3 months on tour with Nate missing Caitlyn would be like.

"Guys shush, it's back. Shane turn it up, I want to hear if her singing's any good". Shane grabbed the remote and turned the sound back up as Eliza started to sing.

"Who is she?" Nate asked, remembering he'd not received an answer earlier.

"Eliza Austen, you know, that new pop star girl who the whole world seems obsessed with at the moment." Shane had to admit, she did have a good voice, or at least she seemed to, if she was singing live and not lip-synching like so many artist did nowadays.

"Oh, so that's who that is. I heard a rumour at the studio today that she's going to be our other opening act." Nate had overheard their manager talking about Eliza and saying they still needed to make sure she was free to open for them, before the guys were told.

"That would be cool" Jason responded. He didn't know why but for some reason, since seeing her on GMA yesterday, he'd really wanted to meet her. It wasn't because he had a crush or anything, not that she wasn't good looking, he just couldn't see her being his type of girl. But something, a small voice in the back of his mind, was telling him he was supposed to meet her, to know her.

"I'm not sure it's true though" Nate interrupted Jason's thoughts, bringing him back to reality. "I guess we will find out at the meeting tomorrow." Nate finished, before fishing his phone back out of his pocket and resuming his text conversation with Caitlyn. Shane smiled; his brother was obsessed with his girlfriend.

"Okay boys, time for bed, you've got an early start tomorrow". The 3 brother's groaned in response to their father's instructions. "No complaining, you may all be over sixteen and think you should be allowed to stay up as late as you want, but you have work to do and if you want to stay in this business then you need your beauty sleep. Fan girls won't be screaming your names if you're worn out now, will they?" Seeing that their dad had a point, Shane removed himself from the sofa and trudged toward the stairs. As much as Mitchie had a positive influence on the middle brother, he was still rather obsessed with his looks.

"Night." He stated, before starting to ascend the staircase, noticing Nate follow behind, eyes still glued to his phone.

"You too Jason." Paul, the father of Connect 3, spoken sternly to his oldest son. "I don't care if there is some special bird watching documentary on later, bed. Now." Shane laughed at his oldest brother's obsession, and dodged out the way as Jason pushed past him, muttering about how it was unfair that he'd have to miss the special on cuckoos which he'd waited all week for. Yes, Shane concluded, his brother's were strange, and obsessions ran in the family.

***

"That was great Eliza" he manager enthused as she came off the stage. Another interview over, she still had to eat and get back to her hotel room, it was already half 10 and she had to be awake at 6am to get to some meeting. She had tried to get out of it, but her manager insisted, saying that 'great career opportunities' could come from it. She didn't care what those opportunities were, as long as she'd get to have a decent nights sleep soon.

She followed her manager out of the building and into the car outside, where her sister was waiting, an excited grin on her face. At least, as far as the press were aware this girl was her sister, but the two girls knew better than that. They had known for years and ever since the day they were told that they weren't technically related, they'd agreed that no matter what, they would remain sisters and best friends.

"How'd it go" Marie asked of her older 'sister'. After getting nothing but a yawn in response from Eliza, Marie sighed, "that good huh? If you don't enjoy it, why do it?" Marie was four years younger than Eliza. At only sixteen years old, she was very innocent for her age. Eliza was sometimes envious of that, how everything could seem so simple, even if they weren't, you did what you wanted, and no one could make you do something you didn't want to do.

"Because if I don't do all this publicity stuff, I'll never get anywhere, and if I don't get anywhere, then they win, and prove the choice was the right one." Marie knew all about Eliza's real reasons for wanting to get into the music business and had been sworn to secrecy.

"I still don't get why you feel you have to prove yourself to them. They aren't worth your breath. And anyway, you won; you got the awesome little sister!" Marie smiled, hoping to cheer up her somewhat stressed sister. It worked, earning a small chuckle from Eliza.

"You're right. Who'd want smelly brothers when you can have an awesome sister like you?" The two girls embraced as the car pulled to a stop. It was dinner time, finally.

**A/N: There chapter one. What did you think? I've got quite a few chapters of this already written so don't worry updates will be fast. P.s: Reviews would be very much appreciated. **


	2. You're going on tour

**AN: Another chapter is here. Thanks to some helpful reviews I've gone through and made this a bit easier to read, sorry to those who got confused. Also, just to let you know I'm from the UK so I may use phrases that none UK readers aren't familiar with. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own. **

"Eliza sit up." She lifted her head and sent a small scowl in the direction of Nigel, her manager. She hadn't arrive home last night until 1am, after eating dinner and getting caught by the paparazzi, causing them to have to take a diversion to get her home. Then she'd been forced awake at 6am to go to this stupid meeting, and she didn't even know what it was about.

"What is this all about Nigel?" She'd asked him numerous times since he'd met her in the limo this morning, but every time he gave the same answer.

"Just wait and see, you'll soon realise I'm not making you be here to torture you, but to make your career more successful. Isn't that what you want? More success?" Eliza sighed and glanced around the room in which she sat. The walls were covered in posters proclaiming the success of some of her label's biggest names. There was The Easy Riders, a band Eliza had detested from the moment her sister started blaring their overly cheesy songs through the house, then T.J Tyler who she'd met briefly a few weeks ago and who had insisted she should meet her daughter. And of course, taking up a large amount of the wall, the one and only Connect 3 whose smiling faces stared out at her, making her feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Eliza did you hear what I said?" Nigel was getting slightly tired of her attitude this morning. She shook her head, eliciting a sigh from him. "I said, when the others arrive, you must be on your best behaviour, okay? No attitude and above all else, no fan girling." Eliza was confused by this last comment. She had been led to believe that this meeting was with label executives, not people that would cause her to react like a wild screaming fan. She shrugged it off, knowing Nigel wouldn't give her any answers.

*******

Shane was being yelled at to hurry up, just like every morning in the Grey household. It wasn't his fault that his straighteners weren't cooperating this morning. He couldn't leave the house without his hair looking good, that was out of the question.

"I swear Shane if you don't get down here in the next ten seconds I will phone Mitchie and tell her all about the incident with the scissors in 2nd grade". Nate always worried about being late. If they were even one minute after the time they'd agreed he would spend half the meeting apologising. Shane sighed, running the straightening iron through his hair a couple more times before deciding he could do no more. Nate could be heard yelling at Jason downstairs, "Jason, leave that pigeon alone... No you can't keep it as a pet... If you leave that one alone I'll get you a large poster of one for your birthday." Although Nate was the youngest and Jason was the oldest they acted the complete opposite. Nate always took charge of the group, whilst Jason goofed off a lot, often thanks to birds (not the female kind, the animal kind).

Shane took one last look in the mirror before finally heading downstairs. As his foot hit the bottom step he found himself being dragged out the front door and into the car. Nate took a seat in the front, beside Jason who was in the driver's seat. They pulled out of the driveway and were soon on their way to the meeting.

*******

"Hello Miss Austen, very nice to see you again. I apologise for being late, it's been quite a hectic morning." The friendly exec shook Eliza's hand before motioning for her to take a seat.

"That's quite alright, though to be honest, I'm not exactly certain why I'm here." Eliza was trying her best to sound happy but she had been kept waiting for the last 15 minutes with no word as to what was happening.

"Ah, well we have an excellent opportunity for you, as I'm sure your manager has explained" Roger, the exec, threw Nigel a warm smile before continuing, "You've had a lot of success recently, and we feel that the next step in your career would be to send you out on tour." Sudden Eliza perked up. A tour? That was something she'd dreamed about for years, getting to go from place to place entertaining people, performing live every night and finally getting to see the world. "But," ah, there was always a 'but', "we aren't sure that you are yet ready for a headlining tour. So, we made the decision that we would like you to spend the next two month's opening for one of our other acts." That didn't seem so bad to Eliza, after all you had to start somewhere. You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs, and clearly in the music biz, you can't headline until you've opened for someone else.

"Wow, that sounds amazing" for the first time this week she felt really excited about an opportunity she was being given. Recording and interviews were all great, but performing live was what she loved most. "So, may I ask, who would I be opening for?" At that moment the door to the meeting room opened and in rushed three very apologetic, and slightly out of breath looking, teen pop sensations.

*******

"Nate slow down" Shane yelled at his younger brother, who had practically leapt out of the car and was now sprinting across the car park. They were five minutes late, and whilst Shane was sure the record label wouldn't care about five measly minutes, Nate was certain it would make all the difference in the world.

"Come on man, let's race him." Jason sped past him chasing after Nate, leaving Shane no choice but to follow. He didn't understand his older brother, sometime's he acted so odd, it was almost as if he'd only gotten half the development he needed, and as a result always acted half his age. A few years ago Shane had been so confused by Jason's immaturity that he had gone to his parents and asked them if Jason was dropped on his head as a child. They insisted that he wasn't which had only made Shane wonder why his brother always acted younger than he was. He laughed as he watched Jason leap on Nate's back, acting more like the younger brother's sixteen years, than his own twenty. He started to jog towards the others, no way was he, Shane Grey, going to run for anyone or anything. Except, he thought, maybe Mitchie.

The receptionist smiled politely at them as they entered the main reception. Nate approached her, putting on his best business-like manner.

"We've got a meeting with Roger Woods? We're running a bit late I'm afraid." The receptionist just smiled happily at him and nodded looking something up on the computer.

"Room 15, down the hall, third door on the left. I believe he's only just arrived himself so I'm sure you won't have missed anything." The guys thanked her before heading in the direction she had pointed.

"See man, I told you, no worries. You should learn to relax a bit." Shane stated, patting Nate on the back.

"Well maybe you should try to be on time more often, then I wouldn't have to worry and I could relax." Nate responded angrily.

"One" Jason mumbled to himself as they passed a door on the left. Nate and Shane continued their argument, storming off ahead. "Two" Jason stated as he passed the second door, his brothers quite a bit ahead. He was often left behind. Not deliberately, he just liked to take things slower than the others. Like relationships. After leaving Camp Rock Shane and Nate had both immediately jumped into relationships, whereas Jason had been asked out by Ella, a lovely girl who Shane repeatedly said was so like him it was almost as if they were twins, but he had declined. He'd rather be friends with someone first, than rush into a relationship. "Three." Jason stated coming to a stop outside the third door on his left, whilst the other two continued walked. "Er, guys?" He yelled down the corridor. Shane and Nate stopped arguing and turned to look at Jason. "I think you missed the door." The others were quickly by his side. They knocked lightly and then opened the door.

"So, may I ask, who would I be opening for?" the boys slowly pushed the door open, putting their best apologetic faces on before entering the room.

"Sorry we're late" Nate stated as Roger stood and shook their hands.

"Ah, just in time, no problem guys take a seat." He indicated to the table and the boys sat down. "Let me introduced you to Eliza Austen, the label's newest recruit. Eliza, meet Shane, Nate and Jason Grey, the members of Connect 3, who I'm sure you've heard of." Eliza nodded and forced a smile onto her face as she greeted the guys.

"It's great to meet you" Jason responded enthusiastically, sticking his hand out to shake. Eliza reluctantly accepted, then turned away from him, unable to meet his eye. The others said their hellos before returning their attention to the meeting.

"Now, as I was just explaining to Miss Austen, we have decided that giving her the opportunity to be the opening act on a tour would be beneficial to both the label and her, and so we thought who better for her to open for than our best artists, Connect 3. What do you think?" The boys shared a glance, having an inward conversation, whilst Eliza sat rooted to her seat, her mouth opening and closing a few times before Nigel nudged her, indicating that Roger was expecting a response.

"That would be great." Eliza replied in what she hoped appeared to be a happy manner. Roger nodded contentedly before turning to Connect 3.

"Guys, what do you think?" After a few more moments of discussion, none of which Eliza could hear, no matter how hard she strained her ears, the guys looked up.

"We think that's a great idea Roger. We'd be very happy to have her on board" Nate spoke up, before sending a smile in Eliza's direction. She tried to smile back but couldn't quite achieve the happy look she knew was expected of her.

Shane looked at the girl opposite him confused. She had just been given the opportunity many girls would beg for. In fact Mitchie had suggested doing that very thing before the label suggested she go on tour with the guys. Yet Eliza sat there looking totally uncertain about the idea. 'Maybe it's just nerves', he thought. But he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Miss Austen than people thought.

Jason was also staring at Eliza, but not for the same reason as Shane. He'd seen the uncertainty but that wasn't what grabbed his attention. He couldn't help but feel that somewhere, sometime, he and Eliza had met before. There was an odd familiarity about the girl sat before him, and he didn't understand it.

Eliza saw them staring, she was beginning to worry. Was the similarity obvious, could they tell? No one else ever had, so why should they? She knew that she should be excited about this opportunity to tour, she was certain Nigel would have a few things to say about her lack of enthusiasm on their way to wherever they had to go later today. But she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she should have just declined the offer. What would her parents say when they found out? She just hoped she could come away from this with her secret intact.

"Okay well I think that's everything. Boys I expect to see you in rehearsals later this afternoon. Eliza your rehearsals begin next week, a few hours every day. We'll meet with you on Monday to discuss which songs you will perform. Any questions?" As everyone shook their heads Roger dismissed them and swiftly left the room. The Greys headed towards Eliza.

"I'm glad you're coming on tour. You'll love it, trust us. It's intimidating at first, but once you get used to it, you'll never want to stop." Jason smiled cheerfully at the brunette in front of him, trying to be encouraging.

"Thanks" she replied, a small smile forming on her lips which she couldn't stop.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we must get going Eliza. You've got a radio interview in half an hour which we mustn't be late for" Nigel stated before crossing to the door, indicating that he would wait outside.

"Oh, er right. Sorry. It was great meeting you. And I guess I'll see you around". Eliza shook hands with the guys once more and left.

*******

Once outside Eliza pulled out her phone before Nigel had a chance to start berating her. She needed to talk to her sister about this. She took her place in the backseat of the car, whilst Nigel took the seat in the front, as the phone rang.

"Hello?" Marie answered sleepily.

"Don't tell me you were still in bed? It's like 10 o'clock!" Eliza sighed, part of her still wishing she could be safely tucked up in her duvet fast asleep.

"Hey sis, how was the meeting?" Eliza sighed, not knowing how Marie was respond when she informed her about the tour.

"Well, turns out the reason I was dragged out of bed this morning was so I could go to a meeting about being the opening act on a tour."

"No way!" Marie responded. She was much more enthusiastic about this news than Eliza was. "Who are you opening for? Please let it be someone good so I can get free tickets from you and rub it in all my friends' faces." Marie still wasn't used to the fact that her sister was famous.

"You'll never guess." After a slight pause, indicating the Marie wasn't even going to attempt to, Eliza continued. "My brothers."

**AN: So there you go. But don't worry just because you partly know the secret doesn't mean there isn't a lot more to come in this story. Please, if you can, review. They make me very happy :) **


	3. Rumours and Rehearsals

**AN: The reviews for the last chapter were very helpful and made me smile in a stress filled week, so thank you for them, especially yours **_**Pink Lemonade 89 **_**(a great author, check out her stories!) Hope you like this chapter, I quite enjoyed writing it. Also, the songs are **_**Keep It Real **_**and **_**Play My Music**_** by Jonas Brothers.**

**Disclaimer: Still not the owner, and unless I invent a time machine, I won't ever be.**

"Oh my God, no way! Are you serious? Out of all the people on your label they just so happened to choose the three people you want to avoid? That's going to be one interesting tour." Marie exclaimed, trying to hold back her laughter about the awkward situation her adopted sister had managed to land herself in.

"Marie, this is no laughing matter! What are mum and dad going to say? I promised them I'd be careful and now look. They're going to be so annoyed." Eliza was worried she would be banned from going. As much as she'd rather stay far, far away from the Grey brothers, she had to admit, she really wanted to go on tour.

"Chill sis, they'll probably question why you agreed to it and whether you really want to go, in that typical parental voice which really means 'we don't agree with this but we aren't going to stop you if you really want it'." Marie wondered herself why Eliza would agree to this tour. She had promised her parents she'd do her best to stay away from Connect 3 when she went into the music business. Sure, obviously there would be times when she would inadvertently bump into them, but going on tour with them? That was just asking for trouble.

"What was I supposed to do? I wasn't warned about it before the meeting, and when I was told I was sat in a room with a label exec smiling encouragingly at me, Nigel poking me in the ribs and glaring at me more or less indicating that I had no choice in the matter" she really hoped Nigel wasn't listening to her conversation. The last thing she needed was her nosey manager knowing all her secret business and deciding to blab it to the press. "And then Connect 3 were sat beside me. How was I supposed to tell them 'actually no thanks, I'd rather not tour with one of the biggest groups in America' when I couldn't provide a reason?" Eliza could practically hear the cogs turning in her sister's mind as Marie slowly realised what had just been said.

"Wait." Marie responded slowly, "you met them? What were they like? Were they like you? You have to tell me everything!" Eliza sighed, knowing that when her sister said 'tell me everything' she meant 'everything'.

"Eliza, get off the phone, we're here." For once she was relieved at Nigel's interrupting.

"Sorry sis, gotta go, I'm at the radio station. I'll tell you all about it when I get home later, okay?" Marie agreed and the girls said their goodbyes. Eliza slid her sunglasses on and headed out of the car, being instantly deafened by the screams of the people awaiting her arrival.

*******

_Living life, life in the fast lane, not that bad, no we can't complain, who's to say that we won't keep it real? Hold on tight, don't you dare let go, now's the time, let the whole world know, you can shine, bright but still keep it real._

"Stop, stop,stop." Eric, the tour director, yelled over the music which abruptly halted. "Guys, that's great but I really don't think this is the best song for you to open with. I gave it a chance but I don't think it's working. I realise you want to go with this whole new direction and all, but I still think we need to open the show with a classic. A song the audience will know and love." They had been discussing this since rehearsals had started, with neither Shane nor Eric willing to budge.

"If we start with an old song," Nate reasoned, trying to avoid a fight which was inevitable if things kept going as they were, "then the audience will just assume we are keeping the same sound. People are coming to this tour to hear our new songs. What if we compromise and open with 'Play My Music'? The crowd will already have heard it, but it's not something old?" Everyone paused and thought for a moment.

"Fine, we can give it a try, but if that doesn't work then you are opening with an old one." Eric relented. "Take a five minute break while we set the stage up." The list of songs had been approved the week before, the staging had been roughly planned out with very little input from the guys, something they weren't happy about though they put up with it, but the order was still being discussed.

Nate and Jason headed over to the buffet table to grab something to eat, whilst Shane grabbed his phone and called Mitchie.

"He's going to see her in like, an hour, can't he just wait until then to talk to her?" Nate complained as he grabbed a bottle of water. Jason was busy piling his plate high with food. Nate gave him a shocked look.

"What? I'm hungry. I only had a piece of toast for breakfast." Jason explained before walking over to one of the tables set out to eat at. Nate followed and checked his phone as he sat down beside his brother. "Anyway, your one to talk about Shane and Mitchie talking all the time." He nodded to the phone in Nate's hand, causing Nate to blush.

"Okay, fine. But it's not like I'm going to see Caitlyn any time soon, so I've got more of an excuse" Jason rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his food. Shane came over at that minute and joined them at the table. "That was quick" Jason stated. Usually when Shane got on the phone to Mitchie their conversations lasted a good half hour at least, normally because they both refused to be the first to hang up.

"I was only calling to check what time she'd be here." Shane noticed Nate texting away beside him, "Jeez man, do you ever leave her alone?" Nate just huffed and ignored his brother. Shane rolled his eyes then focused his attention on Jason. "So Jase, what was all that in the meeting this morning?" Shane raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Jason responded with a mouth full of food.

"I meant, what was going on between you and Eliza? You couldn't stop staring at her." Jason blushed.

"Jason's got a crush!" Nate exclaimed, causing Jason to glare at him.

"I do not." Jason stated staring down at his plate to avoid his brother's eyes.

"Oh man, you so do. This is going to be one fun tour. Me and Mitch, You and Eliza, Nate and..." Shane stopped, realising he'd nearly let a secret drop. Nate gave him a sad look. "Ah, sorry man, I, er, forgot?"

"I do not like her like that." Jason insisted, distracting the other brothers.

"Then why were you staring at her dude?" Nate questioned.

"I don't know. It's odd. It's like something about her is really familiar, like I've met her before." Jason doubted his brother's would understand. Since this morning he could not shake the feeling that he had, at some point, known Eliza. He knew it was ridiculous, yet he couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Maybe you have" Shane said, earning confused looks from the other two, "I was reading this article the other day about these people who met each other for the first time, but thought they had met before. Turned out they'd been in comas at the same hospital, so it was like whilst they were in the comas they'd met, like in a different world. Maybe it's like that with you and her."

"You actually read something?" Nate teased. Shane punched him in the arm, a little harder than necessary.

"Shane, I've never been in a hospital overnight, let alone in a coma. I highly doubt that's it. She probably just reminds me of someone I can't remember." Jason shrugged it off, finishing the food on his plate. Soon enough Eric returned saying they were ready for the guys. They followed him over to the stage and took their usual positions.

"Right," Eric started, explaining the newly planned opening, now that Nate wouldn't start off playing drums, "You all come up simultaneously on the trap doors, the lights flash on, Jason, Nate, you start to play, Shane you say 'Hello wherever' and then sing. Got it?" The guys all nodded in response. "Good, now let's try it."

"But how?" Jason questioned, "We don't have trap doors here?" Eric groaned in response.

"Just pretend you have already come up on the traps doors, we'll practice that when we are on the real stage, okay" Jason nodded. "Okay, so from the top." Jason and Nate started playing the opening bars as their drummer played the beat.

"Hello wherever" Shane yelled, smirking at Eric.

_Music. Turn on that radio, as loud as it can go, wanna dance until my feet can't feel the ground. Say goodbye to all my fears, one good song they disappear, and nothing in the world can bring me down. _

_Hand clapping, hip shaking, heart breaking, there's no faking, what you feel when your right at home. _

_Music's in my soul. I can hear it, every day, every night, it's the one thing on my mind. Music's got control, and I'm never letting go, no, no, I just want to play my music._

*******

_Can't imagine what it'd be like. Without the sounds of all my heroes, singing all my favourite songs. So I can sing along_

_Music's in my soul, I can hear it every day, every night, it's the one thing on my mind. Music's got control and I'm never letting go, no, no. I just wanna play my music. Music's in my soul. I can hear it, everyday every night it's the one thing on my mind. Music's got control and I'm never letting go no, no. I just wanna play my music all night long. Yeah!_

"That was Connect 3 with 'Play My Music'. And now joining me in the studio is none other than Eliza Austen." The radio DJ introduced her. She had to admit, now that Connect 3 had a new sound, if she didn't know the truth about her relationship to them, she might have been a fan. "Eliza, there've been rumours floating around that you're in a relationship, care to clear those up?" These rumours had been driving her insane. Everywhere she went people would ask of she was dating Jake Tribec, a famous actor who was three years older than her and so desperate for publicity that when she had gone out with a few friends the other night he had invited himself along and spent the night trying to be near her every opportunity possible. Clearly his plan had worked, but she took every opportunity available to insist nothing was going on.

"No, I am not dating Jake. We barely know each other to be honest. He hung out with me and some friends last week and people took our closeness the wrong way. He's a nice guy, but I'm happy being single right now." It was true. She couldn't imagine getting into a relationship right now with everything going on.

"I see. So, what's it like suddenly becoming part of the celebrity world." This was question she'd been asked frequently recently.

"To be honest, for me, life doesn't seem that different. Sure I'm a lot busier and there are people yelling my name and taking my photo when I leave my house, but for the most part my life is the same as it was before I became famous. I don't see myself as a celebrity and neither do my family or friends. I'm just a regular person, same as anyone else." Her answer was starting to sound over rehearsed the number of times she'd had to give it, but it was the truth.

"You don't see yourself becoming a diva then? Going off the rails like a certain Shane Grey did a few months back." Somehow the Grey's kept creeping into her life.

"No, definitely not. I think if I ever started to develop an attitude like he used to have then my family, especially my sister, would make sure to put me in my place. They wouldn't let me get that far." Her sister would love the fact that she was mentioned on the radio, "though I do think it's impressive how Shane has managed to turn himself around." It had been the biggest news story in recent months, so showing that she was aware of it would be good for her image, or so her publicist had told her.

"So what does the future hold for you?" Eliza glanced at Nigel. He had told her not to mention the tour as a sure thing yet. There were still contracts to be signed and agreements to be made. Keep it vague, he said, mention the possibility.

"Well, I've been in talks to go on tour with another act, which would be an amazing opportunity." She thought that was vague enough and one look at the pleased smile on Nigel's face confirmed it. "To be able to go out there and connect with my fans live would be incredible. I'm also releasing my second single next week, which I hope everyone likes, and I've just finished filming the video for that." That was what all this massive amount of press was about. The single would be out next Tuesday and her manager had informed her that the more press time she had, the better the single would perform.

"That sounds excellent. We will be right back with more from Eliza after this song from the Black Eyed Peas." The red light above the door switched off, indicating that what was said in the room could no longer be heard. "Your very talented Miss Austen, in fact my youngest daughter is a big fan. Any chance I could get an autograph?" The presenter seemed oddly shy now that he wasn't on air. Eliza happily obliged, telling him to call her Eliza. He smiled as Nigel handed her a photograph to sign.

"What's her name?" she asked, wanting to make the autograph personal. It was something she felt was important; to make each one individual and special, even though it wound Nigel up no end at CD signings.

""Tilly. She's ten and wants to be an actress. This will probably make me the best dad in the world." The presenter seemed very happy and that made Eliza pleased. She loved that she could have this much impact on people.

"To Tilly," she said out loud as she wrote on the photograph, "Reach for your dreams, one day they may come true. Love from Eliza" her autograph was clear enough to read her name. It wasn't girly or over the top, it was simple. She liked it that way. "P.S" she added, "Your dad is one good interviewer." She slid the photo over to the presenter who thanked her profusely. Moments later the red light went on again and the interview continued.

*******

"That was great guys. Now the next song is..."

"Mitchie!" Shane yelled, interrupting Eric as he saw his girlfriend walk through the door. He leapt off stage and ran towards her. Jason gave Nate a confused look.

"I don't think we have a song called 'Mitchie' do we? Is it a new one I haven't learnt yet?" Nate rolled his eyes, before patting his brother on the shoulder.

"No man, Shane's just happy to see Mitch that's all." Jason nodded, realising his mistake. "Guess that's a break then Eric?" Nate questioned. Eric shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Nate and Jason walked off the stage and headed to where their brother already stood.

"Hey Mitch, glad you could make it." Nate said as happily as he could. Mitchie was one of his best friends, and he was glad she was coming on tour with them, but every time he saw Shane and her together it just reminded him more and more that he wouldn't be able to see Caitlyn. Sure, he was obsessed, but he couldn't help that he was in love with her. Not that she knew that, it was too soon.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, I had to pick something up on the way and it took a bit longer than I expected." Shane and Mitchie shared a conspiratory smile. Jason and Nate looked at the two lovers wondering what secret they had.

"Okay spill, what's going? Caitlyn?!" The brunette had just walked behind the doors, a smile forming on her face as she saw her boyfriend.

"What is it with everyone yelling their girlfriend's names around here?" Jason exclaimed, having not noticed Caitlyn entering. Shane nudged his older brother and pointed to her. "Oh." He responded, before muttering under his breath and wandering off the go get some more food.

"What are you doing here?" Nate asked after greeting his girlfriend, "Aren't you supposed to be getting a plane to go home in like 20 minutes?"

"Well," Caitlyn said, her smile growing as she explained, "I managed to persuade my parents that a few months spent on tour with one of the biggest pop acts in America would be much more beneficial to my career than it being spent on their ranch." Caitlyn giggled at the look on Nate's face as realisation finally dawned.

"You're coming with us?"

**AN: Well, I couldn't leave Caitlyn out, could I? Hope you liked it, as always I would love reviews, they make me very happy (even criticising ones!) when things aren't so good, so if you could leave one I'd appreciate it so much. **


	4. Which songs to choose?

**AN: Sorry for the delay, things have been very hectic this week and there's been some pretty rubbish family stuff occurring, but I got a moment to update so thought I'd treat you to chapter 4! Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: No I do not own, though one day maybe I'll own a story people will write fics about.**

"Yep." Caitlyn said, popping the 'p' for emphasis. Nate squealed in a very girly way before picking Caitlyn up and spinning her around.

"Surprise bro." Shane said wandering over to Nate. The brother's shared a high five. "I couldn't let you sit around moping about being without her all tour. So I got Mitchie to help out. Turns out my girlfriend is rather persuasive." So he was bragging a bit, so what. Shane was just pleased that for the first time in the last few days Nate actually seemed really happy.

"So you're really coming with us on tour?" Nate asked once again, unable to believe that Caitlyn was really stood before him.

"As long as I do school work while I'm away, then yeah, I am." She smiled. She had wanted to go all along but she thought her parents would never allow it. When she finally got round to telling them about it last night they insisted she come, saying she'd be wasting a great opportunity if she didn't.

"This is going to be the best tour ever" Nate exclaimed before placing a kiss on her lips. Shane and Mitchie did the same.

"Er, sorry to interrupt" Eric said, wandering over, "but do you think we could get back to rehearsing? We've got a lot to do and not long to do it." The two boys led their girlfriends over to near the stage where someone had set up two chairs for them to watch from. Connect 3 took their place on the stage once more. "Okay, so where were we" Eric glanced down at the clipboard he held, "ah yes, next song is 'That's just the way we roll'."

*******

Eliza had arrived home half an hour ago and from the minute she walked in the door she was bombarded by Marie with questions about Connect 3. They were getting more and more ridiculous as they went on.

"Do they have the same hair colour as you? I mean your natural hair colour, not the dyed red colour you have now." Marie wanted to know everything.

"I don't know Marie, yes probably. Can't you stop questioning me now, I was kinda hoping for a nap before mum and dad got home and started yelling at me about this." She yawned, trying to hint that she really was tired.

"You're twenty years old, you don't need naps. And anyway, mum and dad aren't going to yell at you I'm sure. They'll probably just remind you that you can't tell them anything and warn you to be careful. But fine, if you don't want to talk about it any more, I'll leave you alone." Marie stood and left the room. Eliza sighed in relief before getting into bed. She was well aware it was only two in the afternoon but she had a rare afternoon off and wanted to catch up on all the sleep she'd missed lately. She was just about to head off to dreamland when she heard her parents come in. She sighed. Best get this over and done with before Marie spills. She got out of bed and wandered downstairs.

"Hey Eli, heard you on the radio this morning. What's this about a tour?" Well they certainly got to the point quickly. She followed them into the kitchen wondering how best to explain.

"The label wants me to open for another one of their acts. You know, do a few songs before the main band takes to the stage. It would mean I'd be away for two months but it's an amazing opportunity." She thought she'd better persuade her parents round to the idea of letting her go on tour at all, before mentioning the extra complication.

"I think that sounds amazing." Her mum replied, surprising Eliza.

"Really? I thought you wouldn't be too happy about it."

"When we agreed to let you sign the record contract we knew that you'd have to go off travelling at some point. Your twenty, we trust you." Her dad said, strangely calmly. 'This was too easy' Eliza thought. "So who would you be opening for?" 'Just tell them' she thought 'like ripping off a band aid'.

"Er, well about that. You see, I don't really have much choice as to who I go on tour with, it's down to the label." She was stalling, she knew that.

"Who is it Eliza?" Her mum said, concerned.

"C-Connect 3?" Eliza stuttered nervously, more a question than an answer. The worried look her parents shared didn't go unnoticed. She quickly continued. "I know it's not the best of ideas, but this is an amazing opportunity. If I do this I could get a tour of my own and that's what I've dreamed about for so long. I'll be really careful not to say anything I promise." She clasped her hands together, almost begging her parents.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea. We said when you signed the contract that you'd have to be careful." Her dad said clearing thinking it through.

"And I will daddy, I promise." She thought using 'daddy' might persuade him a bit.

"If we say yes, you make sure you never spend too much time with them. We know we can trust you to keep it secret but sometimes things just slip out." Like her parents telling her the truth.

"I promise I won't. I think I'll even have a separate bus so I'll barely have to see them." Her parents could see just how much she wanted to go on this tour.

"Okay, you can go." Her father relented. He was going to let her go whether she promised to keep it secret or not. In his mind, it wasn't their choice to make this 'secret' a big deal; he'd happily have her tell everyone and anyone. But it wasn't fully their choice, it was the Grey's too. Marie came bounding down the stairs having listened to the whole conversation.

"Oh my God they're letting you go!" She squealed as her and her sister started bouncing up and down together. "I am so jealous. I can't believe you're going to be gone for two whole months!" Marie suddenly stopped bouncing. Eliza gave her a confused look.

"What's up? You going to miss your older sis?" She said, ruffling her sister's hair.

"No." Marie said, though clearly she was, "but you're not going to be here for your 21st birthday, which means we don't get to have a massive celebration." Marie folded her arms across her chest grumpily, acting like a 2 year old. Eliza slowly calculated when, roughly she would be away until. Marie was right; she'd be gone over her birthday. She'd be with *******_them_ on her birthday.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea" she blurted out, taking everyone by surprise.

"What! Of course it's a good idea, you can't give this up just because of your birthday." Marie said suddenly feeling very guilty. "We can celebrate when you get back."

"It's not that" Eliza replied, though corrected herself when she saw the hurt flash across her sister's eyes "I mean, you can always fly out and celebrate with me on the tour. But think about it. If it's going to be my birthday on the tour then..." She paused, waiting for her family to realise. They all gave a collective 'oh' in response. "Exactly. Isn't it going to seem a bit weird that we share the same birthday, and we are both turning 21?"

"No," Sandra, Eliza's mother responded rapidly, "people share birthdays all the time."

"Yeah," Marie continued, "I know like three people who have the same birthday as me and are my age. Doesn't mean anything other than coincidence." Eliza thought about it. There was no reason why they'd think any more of it than that, unless she told them too much about where she was born or something.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course we are." Sandra said, placing a hand on her daughters shoulder. "Now you're going to go on that tour and have an amazing time and then tell us all about it." She smiled encouragingly. Eliza smiled back. They may not be technically related to her, but she had the best family in the world.

*******

The rest of the week sped by and soon it was Monday morning. Eliza was sat in a meeting room trying to decide which four songs from her album she was going to use. She had been informed that the tour started in two weeks. She had wondered why this all seemed to be last minute, that was until she remembered hearing from Marie that Connect 3 had previously had to postpone this tour whilst Shane went and lost his bad boy attitude. She was also told that she wasn't the only warm up act. Mitchie Torres, Shane's girlfriend, would be performing before her. She didn't know much about Mitchie, but she'd listened to some of her song's and had to admit, the girl had a good voice on her.

"Well you have to do both your singles" Nigel informed her, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world, "so all you have to do is choose two more". It was that easy. She'd written almost all of the songs on her album, they all meant something to her. How was she supposed to decide which two out of ten to perform? She thought through them. Her singles were pretty fast paced, so maybe she should choose two slower ones to balance it out?

"What about 'Take A Bow'?" She questioned. The response from Nigel was positive, so she wrote it down. "Can I change my mind part way through the tour if the audience aren't reacting well to them?" Although the album had been a number one seller, she still wasn't sure that her fans liked all of her songs.

"You can though that would mean a lot of extra rehearsals, so it's better to choose ones your happy to stick with now." Nigel explained. They'd been sat in the room for nearly an hour since she had been told she had to pick four. She scanned the list once more, before glancing at her watch.

"Do I have to choose today?" She said, trying to buy herself more time.

"Yes, you do because they want to start you in rehearsals tomorrow and the tour manager needs to know before then." Eliza sighed. Why she needed to spend two weeks rehearsing four songs she knew by heart she couldn't understand. She took one more look at the list, telling herself to just pick one.

"Someone To Fall Back On" she said randomly. She was pleasantly surprised by the choice her brain had made for her.

"Is that your final choice?" Eliza nodded, thinking the mix she had was a good one. "Okay, great. We can get out of here then. I'll just go hand this list in." Eliza nodded and started to pack her stuff up as Nigel left.

"Ah good, you're still here." Eliza jumped at the sound of another voice. She turned to see Roger, the executive who seemed in charge of this tour, standing at the door smiling at her. "Have you chosen your songs?" She nodded in reply as she continued to pack up her stuff. "Excellent. Do you have a few moments; I wanted to talk to you about something". Eliza agreed and took a seat beside Roger at the table. "Now I realise this is your first tour and, being only twenty, it can be quite intimidating, especially since you don't know the other artists very well." Eliza nodded, this was something she'd been worried about, and had even mentioned to Nigel a few days ago. She'd never been away from home for very long and the thought of spending two months with no one she knew scared her. "Well, since the boys are bringing along some extra friends, we were going to suggest that maybe you brought someone too." Eliza was shocked. She was being allowed to bring someone on tour?

"Are you sure?" She couldn't believe this. Roger smiled encouragingly.

"I'm sure you want time to think about who to bring, just let us know in a few days." Roger stood to leave.

"Actually," Eliza began, stopping Roger at the door, "I already know who I'd want to bring." Roger looked at her quite surprised, he'd expected her to take days to deliberate. "I mean if it's okay?" She explained her choice to Roger. "I know it might be a bit of trouble because she's only sixteen so it would mean she'd have to miss some school and such, but she's my best friend and I'd really like to have her with me." Roger seemed to consider this for a few moments.

"I don't see why not. Other people on the tour are having a tutor to cover the work they will miss in school, I'm sure the tutor wouldn't mind having one extra student. Certainly, bring her along." Eliza thanked Roger and shook his hand before he left the room. As she finished packing her stuff away she plotted how to let her sister know.

**There you go. Hope you liked it. I know it was short but originally this and the next chapter were one and it was ridiculously long. I'll update very soon. Please review, they make me a happy person. **


	5. Here's The Truth

**AN: I reached 100 visitors so I thought I'd treat you to this new chapter. I only got a few reviews last chapter and though I really appreciated the ones I got, I'd love more :) I personally really like this chapter, it has some background in it! Also, turns out I'm going to LA and Chicago in September (I am so excited, it's my dream holiday) so if you have any suggestions of things I should do/see whilst there feel free to let me know :) Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Do people read these? If you do, I don't own. **

Shane was sat in the kitchen eating some crisps when Nate walked in, followed by Mitchie and Caitlyn. Mitchie took a seat in his lap and started stealing his crisps.

"Oi, those are mine." Shane said, pouting.

"Were" Mitchie smiled, "they're mine now." She stole another one, holding it close to his mouth before placing it into her own.

"Hey guys." Jason said wandering into the room with a small box.

"What's that Jase?" Caitlyn asked, intrigued by what he was holding. Nate and Shane groaned. "What?" Caitlyn said innocently.

"You had to go and ask didn't you?" Nate responded.

"It's a birdhouse" Jason said, oblivious to the frustrated looks his brothers were giving Caitlyn. "Shane didn't manage to make me one at camp so I put a blog up on our website asking our fans if they could make me one. They've been very helpful, unlike someone." Jason sent a small glare towards Shane before walking out into the back garden.

"Why shouldn't I have asked him about it?" Caitlyn said, confused.

"Because he keeps bragging about how the fans have been sending him stuff and us nothing for the last few weeks and its getting really boring." Shane responded.

"Well I think it's nice that your fans would do that. They're clearly much nicer than his own brother" Mitchie teased, ruffling his hair. Shane hated when she did this, but she looked so adorable he didn't have the heart to tell her to stop.

"You know Camp Rock isn't like that. When did I even have the chance to make him one?" Shane responded defensively.

"Could've done it the first few days when you were too stubborn to come and teach our dance class." Caitlyn reasoned. Nate smirked at Shane.

"Okay, whatever, sure I could, but I was too busy trying to find the girl with the voice! If she had just made it clear to me she was sitting right in front of me then I wouldn't have wasted all that time." Mitchie blushed at Shane's nickname for her.

"Don't turn this one round on me pop star" she replied, getting off his lap to grab a drink. The girls had spent most of the last week hanging out at the Grey's house, they almost felt as if they were at home when they were there. Until they went on tour Caitlyn was staying with Mitchie, and since Mitchie didn't live to far from Connect 3, they took every chance they could to see their boys.

A crash then a yelp could be heard before Jason wandered back in, his hair covered in twigs and leaves, a small rip in his shirt.

"Dude what did you do?" Nate asked, holding back a laugh at his brother's appearance.

"Oh, the birdhouse wouldn't stay in the tree where I could reach, so I had to put it higher." Jason stated as if it was no big deal.

"Jase, your bleeding" Mitchie rushed to his side to inspect the cut on his hand, but he shook her off.

"It's no big deal Mitch. Now, any idea where I put the bird food?" He began to search the cupboards, trailing leaves on the ground as he went.

*******

"Hey Ri?" Eliza yelled up the stairs as she walked in, using the nickname she'd given her sister when they were much younger, "can you come down here for a sec? I've got something to tell you and I think you might quite like it." Eliza heard Marie's door opening and wandered into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa.

"What's up? You choose your songs?" Marie sat beside her sister waiting expectantly.

"Yeah I did, took me a while but it's all sorted ready for rehearsals tomorrow."

"Wicked. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Marie was curious as to what Eliza had to say.

"Oh, it's not that important really. In fact it could probably wait a while." Eliza couldn't help but smile ever so slightly when she saw the look that crossed Marie's face. It was a mixture of disappointment and annoyance.

"If it wasn't that important why'd you interrupt me?" Marie knew the game that Eliza was playing, trying to annoy her. She pretended to fall for it, knowing it would mean she'd find out whatever Eliza was hiding faster.

"Just thought you'd be interested, but if not then don't worry" Eliza said, standing up. She'd barely counted to one in her head before Marie responded.

"Don't do that. Just tell me, whatever it is." Marie couldn't help being a little annoyed, she tried to act nonchalant. "Oh don't, whatever."

"Well if you don't want to know how I'm going to help you miss two months of school then I won't tell you. Your loss." Eliza started to move away but was stopped by Marie grabbing her hand.

"What did you say? Miss school? How?" Eliza turned to face her little sister. She could see the excitement in her eyes. She took a moment to decide whether to prolong this or just tell her.

"Well, it all depends on mum and dad of course," she paused for effect, Marie was practically shaking with anticipation. "But how would you like to come on tour with me?" The second the words came out of her mouth Eliza covered her ears with her hands as a loud scream of happiness was emitted from Marie's lips.

"You are the _best_ sister in the world!" Marie squealed before launching herself at Eliza and hugging her tightly.

"I haven't asked mum and dad yet so they might say no." Eliza explained, not wanting her sister to get her hopes up too much only to have their parents dash them

"They better say yes or I literally won't speak to them the entire time you're gone." Eliza laughed, but she knew her sister was deadly serious.

*******

A few hours later, after much begging and pleading, Marie was sat upstairs in her room scanning her phonebook for who else to brag to about being allowed to go on tour with her sister. She hadn't been allowed to tell them who with, Eliza informed her that the label was going to announce that tomorrow and until then it had to remain between them.

"Telling everyone the good news?" Marie turned to face her sister who was leaning against the door.

"I think I've told most people now. Seriously Eli, I can't thank you enough. Why did you choose me?" She was still surprised her sister had chosen her to be the person she took. Sure they were best friends but Marie had assumed that if something like this was offered, Eliza would just take one of her other friends.

"Your my sister, Ri, by blood or not. You mean a lot to me. And it wouldn't be half as fun without you there getting all excited about the stuff that just seems normal to me." Eliza was so pleased with her sister's reaction.

"You mean like spending two months with some of the most famous people in the country? Getting to tour round millions of states? Oh and not to forget not being able to go anywhere without people screaming your name. I don't get you sometimes, you just act like it's so normal." The girls sat in silence for a few moments. Eliza thought about what Marie had said. She didn't understand it either. You would expect that when all this stuff happens, you'd be really overwhelmed and over excited about it, but to her, it was just natural. It happened, that was cool, but it was life. Marie interrupted her thoughts suddenly.

"You know something I've always wondered?" Marie asked, a bit unsure if she should be asking this, "Why does it have to be such a secret that you're related to Connect 3? I mean, surely they would be happy to know they had a sister." It had never really been explained to the girls why they weren't allowed to tell people, it had just been said that they couldn't. Her parents had told her the truth one night after watching the Kids Choice Awards (Marie's choice, not hers.)

_Flashback_

"_If you could date one famous person, who would it be?" Eliza asked, as Connect 3, a new band just starting to make it big, played their latest single. The girls' parents sat listening to their daughters' conversation. They had always been so pleased that both girls got on so well, yet a small part of them felt guilty they'd never told them the truth._

"_I wouldn't. Why would I want to date someone?" Marie was 14 and still very against boys. Whilst most of her friends were starting to take interest in them, Marie was much happier spending her time hanging with her girl friends. _

"_Because it's cool." Eliza tried to explain. At 18 she was completely obsessed with boys and what was deemed 'cool'._

"_Fine, if __**you**__ could date anyone famous, who would it be?" Eliza stared at the TV screen where a close up of Jason Grey was playing._

"_Jason Grey of course. But he'd have to stop straightening his hair, cause that just makes him look ridiculous." Eliza had to admit, she had a small crush on the eldest member of Connect 3. He was just so talented. Most people liked Shane or Nate but they were younger than her, whereas Jason was her age. He even shared her birthday. Sandra could be heard to laugh, whilst Ian, their father told her to stop._

"_Why is that funny?" Eliza asked. She knew her parents would never understand but she didn't expect them to laugh at her about it._

"_It's nothing hunny, just your mother being a bit silly that's all." Eliza would have left it but the look she saw her parent's exchange made her press on._

_A few hours later, with Eliza insistently asking why it was funny that she liked Jason Grey, the family was sat down at dinner. Sandra and Ian were having a hushed discussion and the serious looks on their faces started to worry the girls._

"_Mum, dad, seriously what's going on? You can tell us." Eliza was feeling bad for pestering, but this proved there was something they weren't telling her. Their parents continued to talk for a few moments before finally seeming to agree. _

"_Girls, there is something we need to tell you, but let me make one thing very clear before we do. What were are about to say does not change how we feel about you okay? And it must not leave these four walls. We knew we were going to have to tell you eventually, though we had hoped you would both be a bit older before we did." This worried Eliza even more. Recently one of her friend's parents had gotten a divorce and when they told the kids they were going to they'd said that it didn't change how they felt about them._

"_You're not getting a divorce are you?" It slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it._

"_What?" Her mum said, surprised. "No sweetie, of course not." Eliza felt a bit more relaxed, though nothing could prepare her for what she was about to be told._

"_I'm not really sure how to say this. You see Eliza, when you were born, your mum and I, we really wanted a child. We'd tried for a while but weren't having much success." Eliza cringed at the thought of her parents trying to conceive. "So one day we met this family. They'd just had twins, but they hadn't been expecting it. The doctor had told them they were only having one baby and they couldn't really handle two. So it turned out they had a daughter they couldn't take care of well enough, and they wanted to be sure she had a good life. So between us we agreed to take care of her so that she could have a happy, good home to grow up in. See, Eli, what we're trying to tell you is..."_

"_I'm adopted." Eliza stated, shocked. All this time she'd been growing up in this home, with this family, and they were just strangers, people who took her in because the people who should have cared about her, her real family, didn't want her. Her parents had said she had a twin, so she'd obviously been the unwanted one. Eliza couldn't help the tears that started to roll down her face._

"_Woah." Marie said, also shocked. "That's not what I expected." There was silence for a few minutes as the information sunk in, before Marie spoke up again. "What does that have to do with Jason Grey?" she questioned, referring back to the earlier conversation. Eliza looked up at her parents, hurt and confusion in her eyes._

"_The family who gave you to us were the Grey family." Ian explained, hoping that simple statement would explain everything._

"_Hold on." Eliza said, raising her voice and standing from the table. Anger was rising in her as she pieced this all together. It wasn't her family, by that she meant the Austen's, she was angry at, but the Greys. "You're telling me that the Greys, as in Jason, Shane and Nate Grey of Connect 3, are my real family? And that I was put up for adoption because their parents couldn't take care of me as well as the other twin, but then they went on to have other kids as well?" Eliza couldn't believe it. She was about to start crying when she realised something else. "Wait. You said I have a twin. Someone else born on the same day as me. Jason Grey has the same birthday as me meaning..." She sunk into her chair, to stunned to continue. She had a twin brother. A famous twin brother._

"_Ew" Marie exclaimed "you fancy your brother! That's gross". Sandra and Ian shot her a warning glance indicating now was time to be quiet. _

"_We're very sorry we didn't tell you before Eliza. But no matter whether you're related to us or not, you're still our daughter and we still love you just as much. But you mustn't tell anyone okay? We promised the Grey's we wouldn't tell you unless absolutely necessary and so you can't tell anyone either." Ian tried to explain, to make Eliza realised nothing was going to change just because she knew the truth._

"_May I be excused?" Eliza asked in a small voice. She needed time to process this. Her parents nodded and she left the room quietly._

_***_

That was two years ago and though the anger faded she still couldn't quite believe it. A little bit of her had always wondered if the reason why she couldn't tell anyone was because her parents had made it all up, but then the logical side of her always reasoned that her parents weren't that cruel. She sighed and looked at Marie.

"I really don't know sis. But if mum and dad and Mr and Mrs Grey don't want anyone told, then I guess I'll just always be the secret twin no one wants to know about." Marie wrapped her arms around her sister, holding her in a tight hug.

"No you won't" She said. Eliza turned to look at her confused. "You'll always by the twin that made me the luckiest girl alive because you became my sister." Eliza couldn't help but let a few tears drop at her sister's words.

"Thanks Ri." She whispered hugging her sister back tightly. She was so glad Marie would be with her on this tour. She didn't know what she would have done without her.

**AN: I really hope you liked this chapter :) Give me reviews and I'll update quicker because it'll inspire to write more chapters. Whether they be 'update', or more detailed telling me how to do better and improve the story, all is sincerely appreciated!**


	6. Who are they?

**AN: Here we go, another chapter. I'm still not sure how long this story will be, I'm just writing as the ideas come to me. Do you prefer longer or shorter chapters? Hope you like this chapter.**

**Also, thanks for the amazing reviews last chapter, you really made my week, especially LawaBookWorm, your review had me smiling all day.**

**Disclaimer: Of course I don't own, silly people.**

***

The weeks moved on and soon it was only a few days until the tour would start. Today everyone was gathered at the first stadium location in LA ready for a full run through. Until this point the three acts had been rehearsing separately, but today they would all meet properly for the first time.

Eliza sat in her dressing room running through the lyrics to her songs in hear head. Marie lay on the sofa nearby attempting to take a nap. The girls had gotten very little sleep the night before, Marie due to excitement, Eliza, more down to nerves.

"Would you stop stressing" Marie said. Even with her eyes closed she could sense when her sister was worrying about something. "You've been great in rehearsals all week so you're going to be fine today." Marie sat up, giving up all together on getting any more sleep.

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have to sit here trying to remember the choreography and lyrics all at the same time so you don't go out there and make a complete fool of yourself in front of seasoned pros!" In the short amount of time she had slept last night Eliza had had a nightmare. She'd been stood on stage, Connect 3 right in front of her, and as the music started to play her mind went blank. She'd stood still staring helplessly ahead, no idea what to do, whilst Connect 3 laughed at her. She knew it was a dream most people had when they were stressed, but something about it had really gotten to Eliza.

"So what if you do? Today is just a rehearsal, no one is going to judge you if you screw up, which I highly doubt you will. Heck the others will probably mess up too." Marie walked over, placing a comforting hand on Eliza's shoulder. "It doesn't matter." Marie had often wondered, as she did today looking at her sister's reflection, how no one else had ever noticed just how different they were. Looking at the two girls side by side, to the knowing eye it was clear they weren't related, they looked nothing alike. Marie was short, slightly curvy with her natural straight blond hair cut short whilst Eliza was almost the exact opposite, tall and thin with her stunning curly auburn hair hanging just below her shoulders perfectly straight. Her hair used to be a deep brown, just like a certain trio, but when she started to have success she decided to dye it, to hide any similarities she could. The only thing the two 'sisters' shared was their eye colour. Both girls stared into Eliza's dressing room mirror with their emerald green eyes. They'd always loved that despite there being no true relation between them; they still had their eyes to bond them.

"But it does matter Ri!" Eliza moaned desperately. "Today's the first time they will hear me perform. I want to do well, I want to show them that I'm as good as them. I don't want them to walk away today thinking that I'm just another newbie who is going to disappear. I know it sounds stupid but I _need_ them to approve of me." Since being told about her real family, Eliza had constantly pushed herself to be better, to do better, always claiming that one day she would prove to the people who gave her up that they made a mistake. Marie sighed, knowing it was pointless trying to convince her to let the competitiveness drop.

"You want to do well?" Eliza nodded, "Then relax and have fun. You'll be great Eli." A brief knock on the door interrupted the girls' bonding moment.

"Eliza, they want you on the stage in five minutes for warm up okay?" Tabitha, a shy girl who was to be Eliza's on tour assistant, informed them. Eliza liked Tabitha, she wasn't over confident, but she wasn't too intimidated either. She treated Eliza like the normal person she was.

"Thanks." Tabitha smiled and left the room. Eliza stood and grabbed a bottle of water.

"You not coming?" She asked Marie who had laid down once again on the sofa.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here and rest while you go do your funny warm up. I'll come and watch you later." With that Marie turned over, burying her face into one of the sofa cushions and Eliza slipped quietly out of the room.

*******

"Boys, five minutes then warm up okay?" Graham, a cocky twenty five year old, who definitely thought he was above being Connect 3's assistant, indicated to the trio before walking off without waiting for a response.

"Can we get a different assistant?" Jason whined, "I really don't like him. What happened to the one we had last time?" The guys were gathered in their dressing room. Nate and Jason had been quite surprised when Shane suggested they share one room between them this year, instead of demanding he had his own private one as he had last time.

"She went off to work with Hannah Montana last I heard" Nate explained. "Sadly we have no choice about Graham, it's either him or no one apparently". Shane sighed, standing to grab his water bottle.

"Personally, I'd choose no one. That boy needs to lose the attitude." Noticing the look his brothers were giving him he continued, "Yes I am very aware of the irony of me saying that. Come on, we don't want to be late." He left the room, Nate and Jason trailing behind him.

*******

"I'm not sure I can do this Cait." This was the third time Caitlyn had heard her best friend say that in the last half hour and she was getting sick of it.

"Yes you can. Now get your butt out of that chair and get yourself to that stage, otherwise you're going to be late and what kind of impression is that going to give?" Mitchie sighed. There was no arguing with Caitlyn. She wandered down the small corridor which lead from back stage to all the dressing rooms. A door suddenly opened to her left and someone backed into Mitchie.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry!" Eliza apologised, turning around to see who she had just inadvertently walked into.

"No worries, it's fine" Mitchie assured the very worried looking girl in front of her. She recognised the look on the red head's face and was pretty sure she was wearing a similarly nervous one. The girls shared a smile and walked down the corridor together. "I'm Mitchie" she introduced.

"Eliza, you can call me Eli though, if you want" Eliza was babbling and she didn't know why.

"Is this your first tour too?" Mitchie said trying to strike up conversation. If this was the other opening act then Mitchie was well aware they were going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few months so she thought it would be best to try and make friends.

"Yeah, it's quite intimidating. To be honest, I'm really nervous I'm going to mess up, you know forget the lyrics to my own songs or something." Eliza didn't know why but something about Mitchie made her feel relaxed enough to tell her more than was necessary. Eliza knew Mitchie was in the same position as her, and in some ways it must be worse for Mitchie. Whenever she heard anything about her fellow show opener it was always prefaced or followed by 'Shane Grey's girlfriend'. Eliza guessed it was quite hard to make a name for yourself when that's how people knew you. It made her wonder if she would have been quite so successful if she had been known as 'Connect 3's sister'.

"I know what you mean. I just had a mini panic attack in my room, my friend Caitlyn had to literally shove me out the door." Mitchie smiled, she liked this other girl, she could see them becoming good friends. They approached the stage to see Connect 3 already standing there. Eliza took a deep breath. She'd have to spend the next two months with these guys who had no idea about the truth. She could do this. "I'm glad I finally met you, maybe we could talk some more after rehearsals? Me and the guys were thinking of grabbing something to eat, you should join us." Eliza nodded, though she wasn't sure she'd actually go. She had promised her parents she'd spend as little time as possible with them. But Mitchie seemed so genuinely enthusiastic Eliza couldn't bring herself to decline the offer.

"Okay everyone, form a circle please. It's time to warm up our voices" Said Gary, the vocal coach on tour.

*******

Two hours later Eliza was standing on the stage, staring out at where the crowd would be in a few days. It wasn't until that moment that Eliza came to believe this was all really happening. The thought of the thousands of screaming people who would soon be sat watching her every move suddenly hit her. She swallowed, turning her attention back to the director.

"She looks nervous" Nate commented as they stood watching Eliza perform. This was probably the only time they'd get the chance to watch her full set as once the tour started they'd always be in lockdown when she went on stage. They'd be able to hear the performance, it was hard not to when the dressing rooms were mere meters away, but not see it.

"She's good though" Caitlyn commented, standing beside Nate. She was impressed. She'd always thought the people at Camp Rock were good but this girl was something else. In an odd way, she reminded Caitlyn of the boys she stood beside. Something about the way she seemed utterly confident on stage, like she belonged there.

"We better go get ready, it'll be our turn soon." Shane said, glancing at his brothers. He'd been touring for many years but the first full run through always worried him. He'd come to realise that any mistakes that were going to be made would most often be made at this point and after Mitchie had given a flawless performance he didn't want to embarrass himself by messing up. He gave Mitchie a quick kiss, leaving her to watch her new friend, and headed backstage.

"You coming Jase?" Nate called over his shoulder. Jason shook his head. He wanted to keep watching a little longer. Eliza had nearly finished her set, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. 'I don't fancy her' Jason thought to himself, 'I don't. It's more than that.' He sighed. Maybe after spending two months with her he'd work out what about her was so familiar. "Alright, we'll meet you backstage soon yeah?" Nate yelled as he and Caitlyn disappeared around the corner in the direction of the dressing rooms.

"She's really good" Mitchie said to herself, not expecting anyone to be listening. She felt a lot more confident now that she was finished with her rehearsal, but having seen just how talented Eliza was, her nerves about whether she was really good enough to be on this tour were beginning to creep back in.

"Yeah, she is. I can't believe this is new to her, she just seems so natural." Jason commented, moving to stand beside Mitchie. They'd become very close since she started dating Shane, she was the only one who didn't tease Jason about his love of birds. She even sometimes joined him when he was watching them. "You nervous?" He asked. Mitchie nodded her head, not wanting to speak the words in case it led to another mini panic attack. Her thoughts were already running wild again. She loved the stage and she loved to sing, but when she'd been up there earlier, seeing just how big the stadium was, she was more than a little stunned. She'd thought the audience at final jam was big, but it was nothing compared to this. "You'll be fine, trust me. When you get out there on the first night it'll all just happen in a blur. You'll come off stage wondering why you spent all the time worrying about it. It's the adrenaline, it does that to you." Jason thought back to his first time on a stage like this on Connect 3's first tour. He'd been terrified, whilst Nate and Shane seemed totally fine. But once they got on stage Jason just felt complete, like it was what he was born to do, whilst Shane got stage fright and just stood still, not moving for a good five minutes. It was funny thinking back to it, though at the time it nearly cost them their careers.

*******

"Okay Eliza, we want to run that last one once more. You want some water?" Eliza nodded, she was feeling pretty thirsty by now. Tabitha came over smiling happily and handed over the water bottle.

"You're really good." The young assistant complimented. "I don't know how you do it, I'd never be able to sing in public, I'd die of embarrassment."

"I'll let you in on a secret," Eliza whispered conspiratorially to Tabitha, "when I was younger I refused to sing for anyone, I was way too scared. Then one day my sister walked in while I was singing in my room. I didn't notice her at first, but when I did I stopped instantly. But she told me I was good and after having one person listen and not tell me they wanted to cut their ears off as a result, it was much easier to perform to other people. It's about confidence." Eliza laughed as she remembered back to the day Marie snuck in to spy on her. She'd been stood in front of her full length mirror, a hairbrush in hand, signing along a little too enthusiastically to Britney Spears 'You Drive Me Crazy'. She promised Marie, when she signed the contract, if she ever got to do her own headlining tour and cover someone else's song, she'd do her best to make it that song as a tribute.

Eliza scanned the stadium again, taking it all in. She noticed that Shane, Nate and the girl she assumed was Nate's girlfriend from the fact that Nate couldn't keep his hand off her, had disappeared, leaving only Jason and Mitchie watching. When they noticed her looking at them they smiled, and Mitchie sent her a thumbs up. She waved back, then noticed two new people she'd not met approach the pair.

"Hey Tabitha? Who are they?" Eliza turned to her assistant. Part of her had already guessed the answer, but she wanted it confirmed before she started to freak out.

"Who?" She scanned the arena, noticing the couple who had joined Jason and Mitchie. "Oh you mean Paul and Denise? They're Jason's parents, and I guess Shane and Nate's as well" She explained, shrugging it off. She was confused by the shocked expression which formed on Eliza's face. "Are you alright?" Eliza was silent for a moment, just staring at the two people she'd just been informed about. They were there, right in front of her. Did they know who she was? Could they tell?

"Hmm? Oh yeah I'm fine." She handed back the water bottle and walked back over to the microphone, ready to continue. "Thanks." She said, as she heard Eric tell the band they were ready to run it again.

*******

Jason greeted his parent's happily. He hadn't been expecting them to drop by, though they did like to stay involved in their son's careers. Sometimes a little too much in Jason's opinion.

"Mum, dad, what are you doing here?" He tried to sound pleased to see them, but he couldn't help the small hint of annoyance that crept into his voice. He was twenty, almost twenty one, he didn't need his parents showing up and embarrassing him.

"We just thought we'd come and see how things were going sweetie, get a sneak peak." Denise Grey hugged her oldest son. She knew he liked to pretend he was a grown up but just because he wasn't a teenager any longer didn't stop her treating him like her baby. Jason explained that they were going on soon and that Nate and Shane had gone backstage to get ready.

"Shane's probably straightening his hair some more." He couldn't understand it himself. He'd tried going for the straight hair look for a few years, but after Camp Rock he'd finally decided he couldn't be bothered to waste the time anymore, so now he just left his hair naturally curly. The music started up again and Jason turned his attention to the stage. His father stood beside him looking confused.

"Jason, who's that?" Paul asked. The look that covered his face was a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Eliza Austen. She's our other opening act alongside Mitchie. She's new but she's really talented." Jason kept his attention focussed on the stage while explaining this and so missed the look that his parents exchanged, one of shock and guilt, but Mitchie didn't. She'd turned around when Jason said her name and saw the Grey's parents look to each other. Something told her they weren't happy Eliza was going to be on this tour.

**AN: There you go, the parents know. How will they react? Will Eliza confront them? All that and more still to come in this story, so please review to persuade me to update again! Thanks for reading.**


	7. Meet The Parents

**AN: Sorry it took a while to get this up, I've been rather busy. But here's a treat, as this chapter is rather short, you will probably get another one tomorrow :) This is a rather Smitchie chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own. If I did I'd live somewhere where daddy long legs didn't taunt me**

Denise Grey couldn't believe their misfortune. When she and her husband made that dreadful decision twenty years ago she didn't expect to see that girl stood on stage in front of her about to embark on a tour with her sons. Jason was right, she was talented, but then that wasn't really a surprise when it seemed to run in the family. Denise noticed her middle son's girlfriend staring at her and realised her expression must seem odd. She placed a smile on her lips, making it as genuine as she could.

"You must be excited Mitchie, only a few days to go." Denise said. She wanted to like Mitchie, she honestly did, but she couldn't understand why out of all the possible girls out there Shane had chosen her. She had agreed to let her son go back to that camp, hoping her brother could knock some sense into that brain of his, but she didn't expect him to come back with a girlfriend who was also a singer. She'd read article after article about how Miss Torres was only with Shane for his money and to help launch her own career, and as much as her sons insisted it wasn't true, that Mitchie 'wasn't that kind of girl', Denise still didn't trust her. Something about that smile, it always seemed excessive.

"Totally" Mitchie responded. Denise always made Mitchie nervous. When they'd first met things hadn't gone too well, though Denise tried to pretend they got on perfectly well.

_Flashback_

_Mitchie stood in the hallway listening to the conversation occurring on the other side of the wall. She knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping but she couldn't help it. The conversation was about her after all, surely that made it slightly okay for her to listen in? _

"_We expected you to come back with a better attitude Shane." Paul Grey yelled in the living room. Shane had returned from Camp Rock a week ago and everyone had spent that time telling him how much better a person he was. Tonight he had introduced his parents to the girl that made that possible and things weren't going as planned. "Not some girl who only wants you because you're 'The Shane Grey'". Shane ran his hands through his hair in frustration, whilst Nate and Jason just sat at the table watching the fight occur._

"_That's not what Mitchie is like." Shane argued back. He'd tried hard to get on with his parents, to show them he could be different, but they were being unreasonable and he wasn't going to let them just tell him what to do this time. "She was the only one at that place who actually cared about who I was as a person, not as some pop star."_

_On the other side of the door Mitchie inwardly giggled. She'd finally persuaded Shane that he wasn't allowed to call himself a rock star until he proved it to be true, and not in a bad way, but through his music._

"_And why is it only me that's getting yelled at about girls, it's not like Nate is totally innocent over there." Shane knew Nate would kill him for that later but it was only fair. After all it was his stupid younger brother who had persuaded him to invite Mitchie over._

"_We will come to that later." Paul Grey said in a tone which told Nate he would be facing a similar argument at some point. "But we are talking about you right now Shane. And you should know better than to go off and get yourself into a relationship with some girl you barely know. Especially when she is some nobody who won't help your career at all" Shane let out a bitter laugh at the irony of what his father just said. _

"_So you don't want me to date her because she's only using me to further her career, but it's okay for me to date someone to further mine? And anyway, Mitchie isn't 'some nobody', she's incredibly talented and one day she's going to be amazingly successful, probably more successful than me, Nate and Jason." Mitchie blushed, Shane often told her how good she was, but in private. To hear him tell his parents it made her feel a little more confident. _

"_Shane, you're father and I just want what's best for you that's all. We aren't sure that getting into another relationship right now is the best option. Maybe it's better to focus on your career now, especially with all the work the new album is going to give you, not to mention the tour. Focus on that and then maybe, if in a few months when things have settled down a bit you still feel the same about Mitchie, we can talk about you having a possible relationship with her." Denise was trying to calm the situation down but it didn't seem to work._

"_No mom. I'm not just going to focus on my career and ignore her. She means a lot to me and without her I would probably still be 'bad boy Shane'". He noticed both his brothers shudder slightly and rolled his eyes at them, "but Mitchie helped me change that and I owe her a hell of a lot. You don't have to accept her, because no matter what you say I'm still going to be with her. I like her, a lot, and nothing you say will change that." He'd wanted to say more, to tell them he loved her, that every time she walked into the room his heart skipped a beat and that she inspired him more than anything else. But he hadn't even told her that yet, he didn't want to ruin it by yelling it to his parents in the heat of the moment._

"_It's your choice Shane, but don't come running to us when it turns out all the rumours are true and she was just using you." Denise said, rather harshly. "Now, let's move on from this and finish tonight's dinner calmly." She walked across the dining room heading towards the hallway so she could go and get dessert. Mitchie didn't realise what was going on in time and suddenly found herself face to face with Shane's mother, instead of the solid oak door she had become used to._

"_Oh Mitchie dear, there you are, we were beginning to worry. Would you like some dessert?" Denise said with a very false cheery attitude. Mitchie nodded silently, unsure whether Denise realised she had been listening or not. She offered to help but Denise insisted that she do no such thing, before quickly leaving the room, her husband following her to assist. Mitchie took her seat beside Shane and he wrapped his arm securely around her._

"_Did you..." Shane trailed off, too worried to finish his question._

"_Hear what was said? Yeah, pretty much" Mitchie stated. Moments later Denise and Paul returned and dinner continued as if nothing had happened. _

Now, stood in the stadium 3 months later, nothing more had been mentioned about that first meeting. Denise pretended to like Mitchie, Paul ignored her all together, and Mitchie worked as hard as she could to prove to the parents of the boy who she loved that she was good enough.

**AN: Not my best, promise there'll be more very soon to make up for this, though I felt this development was needed for the parents. Review please, even if it's just to tell me I suck, I like to hear from you all!**


	8. Tell Me That You Love Me

**AN: As promised another chapter rather soon. Ch.7 didn't get much attention, but I don't people, I wasn't pleased with it. I hope you like this one, bit of development and some more romance, plus a song (everyone likes a song right?)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song ('When You Look Me In The Eyes' - Jonas Brothers) or Camp Rock, however now that I've got Disney Channel back, I might be able to watch Camp Rock 2.**

"So they are right here? You finally met them?" Marie questioned her sister who was restlessly pacing around her dressing room. She'd returned from her run through rather stressed out. Marie had assumed Eliza had screwed up but when the real reason behind her panic was revealed, Marie had been more than a little shocked.

"I didn't exactly meet them, but yeah, they are here. I don't even know if they know who I am. No one told me that Connect 3 were going to be supervised by their parents. I mean they are what 17, 18 and 20? Who has their parents hang around at that age?" She had seen the look on Denise Grey's face while she was on stage, and though she was trying to ignore it a voice in her head kept telling her that they knew exactly who she was and that things were going to get complicated.

"If they do know who you are, are you going to tell them that you know?" This was a question Eliza was asking herself, though Marie voiced it. Her parents weren't supposed to tell her. How would her real parents react if they found out she knew the truth. Would it be better to stay quiet and pretend she knows nothing? Or to inform them that she knows everything and finally confront them.

"I honestly don't know." Eliza hoped she'd have some time to think about it before having to actually meet them. A knock on the door sent a sudden wave of fear over Eliza. She approached the door slowly, nervous as to whether the other side held a conversation she wasn't ready to have. As she swung the door open she was greeted by a smiling short curly haired brunette. The young girl stuck her hand out and Eliza took it.

"Hey, I'm Caitlyn, Nate's girlfriend, Mitchie's best friend and future music producer. You're Eliza right?" Caitlyn was excited to finally meet the other girls who would be joining them on tour.

"Yeah, that's me. And this" she indicated to Marie who was stood slightly behind her, "is my little sister Marie". Marie waved in greeting as Eliza stepped back from the door. "You want to come in?"

"Actually I was wondering if you guys want to come join me and Mitchie. We're just watching the guys run through some songs out front." Eliza glanced at Marie and noticed the huge grin which covered her sister's face. She kept forgetting Marie was a big Connect 3 fan.

"That would be great." Caitlyn smiled. The three girls left the dressing room and headed to where the audience would sit come opening night.

*******

They joined Mitchie who was stood a few rows back, a proud grin on her face.

"Mitch, I found them" Caitlyn yelled as they approached her. Mitchie and Eliza shared a hug and then Marie was introduced.

"How old are you?" Mitchie asked the youngest girl.

"Sixteen, yeah I know I'm young to be going on this tour, but my sister is very persuasive." Mitchie laughed at this whilst Caitlyn got very excited

"Oh, you're the same age as me! That's so cool, I was really worried I was going to be the youngster of the group, but now I've got you we can team up against all these oldies" Caitlyn hugged Marie excitedly, which made Eliza smile. She was glad her sister wouldn't be the only sixteen year old on the tour. She'd been a bit worried that Marie would gradually feel out of place as the tour went on, what with everyone else having rehearsals and performances. But she could tell that Marie had found a friend in Caitlyn and since they were both none performers she was relieved to know her sister wouldn't be alone backstage.

"This next song goes out to some very special girls, we have so much to thank them for. They know who they are" Shane yelled into his microphone. He and Nate had decided only a few days ago that they wanted to perform the song they had written together for their girlfriends. They hadn't practised it much, and the girls had yet to hear it. Shane had to admit that for the first time in a long time, he was actually nervous about performing. He looked across the arena and saw Mitchie smiling up at him as she stood beside Caitlyn, Eliza and another girl he didn't recognise but assumed was Eliza's sister.

Nate took a seat at the piano and Jason strummed at his guitar playing the opening chords they'd only perfected days ago. Eric had been very against them including this song, but they had insisted. It had felt nice to finally have some say over what they played.

_Ooh, yeah _Nate started

_If the heart is always searching, can you ever find a home? _

_I've been looking for that someone, I'll never make it on my own_

_Dreams can't take the place of loving you_

_There's gotta be a million reasons why it's true_

They'd written this while away from their girls for a week. Shane had found Mitchie appearing in his dreams all week, but she was never as perfect as reality.

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise_

_When you look me in the eyes_

They had both told the girls they loved them. For Shane it had been an incredibly nerve wracking moment. He'd taken her to the beach nearby. He'd picked her up and carried her into the water, threatening to drop her. She'd squealed like a little kid, begging him not to. He'd stared into her beautiful deep brown eyes and knew he couldn't wait any longer to tell her. He'd whispered the words, unsure as the how she'd react. She had been quiet for a few moments and then gently placed a hand against his cheek, bringing her lips close to his, her eyes looking directly into his, she'd replied 'I love you more than anything in this world' and at that moment everything had been perfect.

_How long will I be waiting_

_To be with you again_

_Gonna tell you that I love you_

_In the best way that I can_

_I can't take a day without you here_

_You're the light that makes my darkness disappear_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise _

_When you look me in the eyes._

Nate's had wanted his declaration of love to be more organised than it had been, but in the end it was exactly as he hoped. They had been sat in a local private park, having a picnic in the sun. Nate had planned the basket down to the last strawberry. That was how he liked things, precisely planned. Once they had finished all of the food in the hamper Nate had prepared, which included strawberries and cream, ham and mustard sandwiches and multicoloured cupcakes, Caitlyn had laid down on his lap as they relaxed in the sun. He had been stroking her hair gently, with her smiling up at him and he couldn't stop the words from escaping his mouth: "Caitlyn, you're the most amazing person I have ever met. I don't know what I would have done without you in my life. I want you to know that I love you, and I always will." Caitlyn had cried, she had been so happy. No one had ever told her that they loved her. They'd shared a tender kiss before she replied. All she'd said was those three simple words, but it was all Nate had needed to hear to feel like he was in paradise.

_More and More_

_I start to realise_

_I can reach my tomorrow_

_I can hold my head up high_

_And it's all because your by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by side_

They'd written the last verse last night. Originally the song just ended with the chorus repeating. It had taken them into the early morning hours but they'd realised the song wouldn't be perfect without this extra piece.

_When I hold you in my arms_

_I know that it's forever_

_I just gotta let you know_

_I never wanna let you go_

_Cause when you look me in the eyes_

_And tell me that you love me_

_Everything's alright_

_When you're right here by my side_

_When you look me in the eyes_

_I catch a glimpse of heaven_

_I find my paradise _

_When you look me in the eyes._

_Oooh yeah. Ooaahh. Woah yeah _Nate improvised as the final bars played. They boys stood on stage looking apprehensive as they glanced towards Caitlyn and Mitchie.

The girls stood shocked after hearing a brand new song. Tears fell down Mitchie and Caitlyn's cheeks as they were amazed at just how beautiful the song was. It was the first time Caitlyn had ever had a song written for her. And for Mitchie, this was even better than Gotta Find you. It was so full of emotion and it truly reflected how each couple felt.

Eliza was impressed. She hadn't heard much of connect 3's new stuff, only 'Play My Music'. To hear this much more powerful, heartfelt sound coming from them was stunning. Whilst she tried to ignore Marie who was repeating over and over 'I just got to hear a new song, oh my word, no one else but us has heard this, this is so cool!' She felt an odd sense of pride. These boys were her brothers after all. And though she didn't know them she was happy that they had found girls who made them able to write such amazing lyrics. She'd have to get to know these two girls who could potentially, in an odd way, be her sisters-in-law one day.

As she looked at the stage she couldn't help but feel slightly sad. There were three guys she could have spent her life growing up with. She could have known everything about them, she could have given her younger brothers advice on what to do on a first date with one of the girls who she was now standing beside. Yet that had been taken from her, and from them without them having any say or knowledge. It was wrong, it was unfair. As Eliza stood there she vowed to make things right. Somehow, someway

**AN: There you go. Do you prefer these shorter chapters? Let me know! Review, please! (I'll bake you a cake or something if you do!) **


	9. To The Diner

**AN: This chapter took me forever, because I just completely lost my writing ability but a suggestion from Pink Lemonade 89 helped me past that and so here is chapter 9! I quite like it.**

**Disclaimer: No I honestly don't know.**

"Are you guys coming to dinner with us?" The run through was over, only a few mistakes had been made, and now they were free to do what they wanted. Mitchie re-extended the invite to Eliza and Marie to join them for dinner.

"Oh, I'm not sure. We have some, er, stuff to do." Eliza still wasn't sure about getting to close to the Grey brothers. She saw the look of sorrow which crossed her sister's face.

"Oh go on, it's our first night together, we need to get to know you." Jason was rather disappointed their new friends were refusing to come. He wanted to get to know them better. Despite being in the same building all day he had barely gotten the chance to speak to either Austen.

Eliza and Marie had a silent conversation, an odd trick they had learned growing up together so they could discuss things in front of their parents without them realising. It involved a lot of slight twitches of their eyebrows, nods of their heads and some begging hand motions on Marie's part. As much as she knew Eliza wanted to keep some distance from the Grey's, she also didn't want to miss out on opportunities to hang out with them. She saw her sister slowly relenting and smiled, knowing she had won.

"Okay fine, we'll come." Mitchie hugged Eliza happily, as Caitlyn and Marie high-fived and Jason and Nate looked very pleased.

Shane meanwhile looked less than happy. Something was odd about Eliza Austen in Shane's opinion. She acted so differently than any of the girl's they'd met, different even than Caitlyn and Mitchie who hadn't exactly acted like fan girls.

It seemed she almost disliked them yet she had no reason to, they didn't even know each other. He was determined to work out what her problem was.

Mitchie noticed the look on Shane's face and gave him a look of her own, telling him to behave. In the short time they had known each other Mitchie had learnt a lot about Shane, including what a lot of his looks meant.

The group gathered at the back entrance to the stadium and all clamoured into the large tinted window car which was waiting for them.

"So where are we going?" Marie asked, gaining her confidence slowly around these famous people.

"This little diner just round the corner that Jason, Shane and I used to go to when we were younger. They do the best burgers around." Eliza couldn't help the small frown that formed on her lips after hearing a memory she could have been part of. She knew she'd have to snap out of it, that there were many moments like this that she'd have to put up with on the tour, but she couldn't help it. Seeing Paul and Denise Grey earlier, she couldn't help but be angry and think of all that she missed out on. The other's noticed the look on Eliza's face.

"Do you not like meat? Because we could go somewhere else." Nate didn't want to take the new girl to a restaurant that specialised in something she hated.

"What?" Eliza asked, rather confused. Marie was trying her best not to laugh at the idea of her sister not liking meat.

"I don't think the burgers are the problem." Marie explained. "We once went to this steak house, and miss piggy over here ate practically a whole cow. Not that you would tell from the size of her." Marie was slightly jealous of her ridiculously thin sis. Eliza smiled. Sure she'd missed out on memories with the Grey's, but she wouldn't trade them for the ones she and Marie shared.

"Yeah, I'm definitely pro meat. I couldn't live without it. That diner sounds good." The rest of the car ride was pretty quiet with everyone being rather tired after a long day.

Soon enough the group arrived outside the diner which was luckily very quiet and the few customers that were there were not Connect 3s target audience.

Eliza and Marie ended up separated when everyone sat down, with Marie sat between Caitlyn and Mitchie on one side, with Shane next to Mitchie, and then Eliza between Nate and Jason on the other side. After Nate's recommendation everyone ordered burgers of different sorts. The service was rapid and soon everyone was tucking into their meals and conversations were picking up. Eliza was currently caught up in a discussion with Nate.

'So what's your story of entering the industry?' Nate was intrigued as to the background behind the mysterious girl sat beside him.

'My story's pretty dull really. I sang at a party a family friend was having, someone videoed it without me realising, sent it in to the label and before I knew it I was receiving phone calls telling me to come in for a meeting and to sign a contract. It all happened pretty fast really.' Eliza smiled; remembering the night Marie mentioned that the reason the phone was holding messages from label executives may have been something to do with a video she took.

'And you write all your own songs, yeah?'

'Mostly. All the ones I'm performing on the tour are my own. I like to put some of me into the songs; it helps me to connect with it more.' Nate nodded in understanding, knowing that was exactly what he was trying to do for himself and his brothers since they had been given more control over their songs. 'It must have been really annoying to not have much say in your music' Eliza had read all the recent stories about the real reason behind Shane Grey's 'bad boy attitude' and had been quite surprised that one label could treat two artists so differently. She'd been given as much musical control as she wanted, whilst Connect 3 had nearly given up their careers due to their lack of it.

'It was frustrating at times. Shane found it harder than the rest of us; he used to write all of our stuff so to lose that power was difficult. Me and Jase just accepted it, we didn't realise we had a choice, we loved being able to just perform for others, but when Shane made us realise over the summer that we could actually play the stuff we wrote, there was no going back. I think we're a better band for it.' Nate smiled, this tour was going to prove all those who didn't agree wrong.

'You know, I think I'd have to agree with you.' Eliza said. 'I wouldn't admit to anyone else before this that I was a fan of your music, it's not exactly cool to be a Connect 3 fan at 20, but your new stuff has a much better sound, and feels more real than that older stuff you did.' Eliza felt she could be honest around Nate, something about him made her feel at ease.

Marie watched as her older sister talked animatedly with the others around the table as the night wore on. Maybe she shouldn't have persuaded Eliza to let them go to the diner with everyone else, they had promised their parents they would keep their distance. It was only the first night and already she could see that promise may not last.

While the others were enjoying their meal, Denise and Paul Grey were still at the stadium, in a rather heated debate with Eric about a certain female pop sensation.

"We were not informed that there would be another artist joining our sons on tour. Surely one warm up is plenty. And if you don't feel Mitchie is good enough to warm up the crowds alone, maybe you should select another better artist instead of the two you have chosen." Paul Grey was not in a good mood, and poor Eric was facing the brunt of it.

"I'm sorry Paul but I really don't see what the problem is with having Eliza Austen along on the tour. She has had incredible success recently and announcing she would be part of this Connect 3 tour has seen tickets sales nearly double, surely that's a good thing? I believe we have chosen the two best artists to support Connect 3 this time around. And we have previously had more than one act open for one of your sons' shows, I am afraid I can't see what the problem is with doing the same this time."

It was nearly 10 at night and Eric had been looking forward to going home and spending one last night with his wife and daughter before he left them behind. When it came to tours it wasn't only the artists that had people they missed, everyone on the tour did, though the famous types often didn't realise that, and clearly neither did their families.

"Well then, I may just have to pull my sons out of this concert. See how the fans react when their tickets to see Connect 3 live, leads to them seeing 2 mediocre performers instead." Eric doubted Paul was serious, though a little part of him was incredibly concerned that he may be.

"Surely we can come to some sort of agreement which would mean everyone who is planned to be part of the tour can continue to be, but would please you at the same time?" Mrs Grey, who had been quiet for some time, finally spoke up.

"We don't want any of the boys spending much time with Miss Austen. We understand you can't stop them being around Mitchie or Caitlyn" she said their names with such disdain it shocked Eric, "but we'd rather not add another female distraction to the mix."

"We can assure you that the girls and guys will be travelling on separate buses, will have all future hotel rooms on different floors and, with this tour being so busy, they will rarely have enough free time to spend together." He hoped this would appease the oddly unhappy parents in front of him, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

After a few moments of heated discussion between Paul and Denise they returned their attention to Eric.

"That should be fine, though if we find they have been spending many hours together we will be forced to remove the boys from the tour." Eric nodded, showing he understood. Though he doubted he would be able to fully keep the promise, after all teenagers will be teenagers, he wanted them out of his office, and if this compromise got them to go, he was all for it.

Denise and Paul were about to leave when Eric's curiosity got the better of him and a question slipped from his mouth before he could stop it.

"Why do you dislike Eliza? I can understand why you're uncomfortable with Mitchie and Caitlyn, being your sons' girlfriends and all, but Eliza is just another pop star, like all the others they have toured with." He had been very surprised when he was confronted with the Grey's insisting Eliza be removed from the tour as soon as possible when, as far as he was aware, the two adults hadn't even met Eliza, let alone been given time for something about the young girl to offend them.

Denise glanced nervously at her husband. She had no idea how he would respond to this. Eliza had often been a sore subject and discussing that painful time was not something Denise and her husband did often. They had only briefly talked about her in order to agree that her being on the tour and spending time with Connect 3 was not a wise choice. They hadn't gone as far as coming up with a suitable reason.

"We don't want the boys being distracted, that's all. We can't stop that with Mitchie or Caitlyn, they have a right to see their girlfriends, but we'd rather keep it to a minimum. Especially with Jason, we don't want him getting any ideas about creating a relationship of his own, you know how he is."

The very thought of her oldest son thinking of starting a relationship with Eliza made Denise want to be sick.

"We should really get going Paul, we don't want to keep Eric here any longer, I'm sure he has better places to be the night before leaving on tour, than standing here talking to us. Goodnight Eric, thank you for understanding." With that Denise dragged her husband from the office to their car.

The couple drove towards home, knowing when they arrived they would have to actually discuss what their discovery today meant for the future.

**AN: So there we go, are you all disliking the Greys? Next chapter things move forward and soon the tour will begin I promise. Also I need your help; I'm trying to find a song that could suit Eliza and Connect 3s situation and I'd love some suggestions, let me know. Thanks for reading everyone!**


	10. Memories

**AN: Sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter, and it will be the only one until at least Monday as I'm away all weekend. I hope you like this one.**

Dessert arrived at the table in the diner, much to the joy of its occupants. As the final item was set down, conversation turned to focus on the couples.

"So, how did you all meet?" Marie asked the table in general.

"Well, Shane was acting up because the label wasn't allowing us to record or perform our own songs, so we sent him to this place called 'Camp Rock', which our Uncle Brown owns and where we got discovered" Nate explained.

"It's where Connect 3... Connected" Jason said excitedly.

"You all went to Camp Rock?" Marie exclaimed, "I am so jealous."

"Oh no." Eliza sighed. "You've started her off." Seeing the confused looks on the others faces she continued, "Marie spent most of last year attempting to persuade our parents to let her go there, but they wouldn't let her and she hasn't stopped complaining since."

"Why wouldn't they let you go?" Caitlyn asked her new found friend.

"Because _someone_ was busy becoming an international superstar" Marie said, glaring playfully at her sister.

"Oh no, come on you are **so** not blaming this on me, not again. Why don't you tell them the other reasons?" Eliza said.

"Okay, so maybe I drove my car into a lamp post and the money they were going to use for Camp Rock went on getting it fixed." Eliza raised her eyebrow making Marie continue, "Fine, okay, maybe I blamed it on Eliza because I assumed that since she was famous mom and dad wouldn't do anything to her for it. And maybe mom and dad nearly banned her from going to a big event which would have lost her a lot of money, and possibly her contract. My parents found out I'd lied and weren't too impressed." Marie hung her head guiltily, she hadn't meant to cause all that trouble, she was just scared of what trouble she'd get in.

"What big event was it?" Jason asked Eliza

"The GMA summer concerts." She explained. Connect 3 shared a knowing look.

"Shane's little ego meltdown meant we had to pull out of that. They were less than pleased, to say the least." Jason explained, causing Shane to blush guiltily. "But you performed at it didn't you? I swear I read about it somewhere." Eliza was surprised. Jason had read stuff about her career? She still found it odd that these superstars were interested in her and her career.

"Yeah, everything worked out okay in the end. It took Marie until she and I were sat with my parents waiting to go into a meeting room at the label to discuss what was going to happen if I pulled out of the concerts, to actually admit it was her." Eliza had been so angry at Marie she hadn't spoken to her for a week.

"So anyway," Marie said, trying to change the direction of the conversation, "back to how you met?"

"Oh yeah, right. Shane went back to Camp Rock where Mitchie and Caitlyn happened to be. He started talking to Mitchie after she called him on being a jerk. He also heard this mystery girl singing and he was searching for her, or 'the girl with the voice' as he called her. He and Mitchie had this big fight because Mitchie lied to him, but then at the final performance of Camp Shane found out Mitchie was 'the girl with the voice' and he forgave her and by the end of that night they were dating."

"And Nate and Caitlyn flirted endlessly from the moment me and him turned up at Camp and met her, so by the end of Camp they were together too. And five months later here we are." Jason finished the explanation for his brother.

"Way to take all the interesting and detailed bits out Nate" Shane voiced his thoughts, "The story's actually a lot better than they tell it, people have even said it should be made into one of those romcom movies" He bragged, only to receive a gentle hit around the back of his head from Mitchie.

"Sounds like a good story, you'll have to tell me the more romantic bits another time" Eliza said. Mitchie nodded, taking Shanes hand gently in hers. She turned to smile at him and he caught her lips against his, kissing her passionately.

"I apologise for them, though you're going to have to put up with a lot of mushy stuff with these four around" Jason whispered to Eliza, indicating to the two couples. Obviously he didn't speak quietly enough as minutes later he was complaining to Shane that the swift kick he received under the table was too hard.

"How about you Eliza, any men in your life?" Mitchie asked once she'd taken her attention off of Shane.

Eliza shared a quick meaningful glance with her sister, indicating that the younger girl should keep her views on this quiet.

"No, not at the moment. I'm happy being single, it's much easier" she explained.

"I agree with you there." Jason said, sharing a smile with her.

"I doubt Marie would though, she's been in a serious relationship for the last year." Eliza tried to move the attention to her sister to avoid any unwanted questions.

"Ooh tell us about him." Caitlyn gushed excitedly, turning to face the girl beside her.

"There's not much to tell," Marie said, blushing, "he's just this guy I knew for a while and things went from friendship to relationship and we get on really well. Nothing really interesting." She smiled at Caitlyn, whispering to her "I'll tell you more later, without the guys or my older sister", Caitlyn nodded in response and the conversation moved on.

Half an hour later the group were back at the hotel where they were staying for the first two days of the tour. Despite all of them living in LA, the label had decided it was better to have everyone together in one place in case they were needed at any time.

Everyone had been sat in the central lounge area, continuing their conversations from the diner, for a few hours, growing closer to friendship. The topics had ranged from music and TV, to food and future plans. Now they were reminiscing about their favourite memories, which was leading to large amounts of both embarrassment and amusement.

"There was this one time when Shane decided that getting onto the roof would be a good idea," Jason started another story about their childhood. Eliza was loving learning all these tales of their past, and her face clearly showed it, "so he's standing there on the roof yelling to me and Nate that we should join him."

"They were being total wimps." Shane explained, looking very pleased with himself, thinking he knew where this story was going.

"So we kept refusing and Shane wasn't impressed with that. He decided that he had to show off, walking closer and closer to the edge" Shane's eyes suddenly grew wide; his face turning red as he realised this wasn't the story he expected.

"Jason, please, don't tell this story." The sudden change in Shane's attitude caused the girls more intrigue.

"You thought it was the other story didn't you?" Shane nodded at his older brother "well, if you really don't want me to..."

"No way, you cannot build it up like that then just leave it!" Eliza called out, with the others agreeing behind her.

"Sorry Shane, majority rules" Jason stated, shrugging his shoulders before continuing, "So Shane's standing on the edge of the rood trying to show off when suddenly, his foot slipped and he found himself hanging from the edge bawling his eyes out, screaming for someone to get him down. Nate and I were laughing out heads off watching."

"You guys are so mean!" Mitchie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders.

"Mitch, Jase didn't tell you which roof Shane was on." Nate said, attempting to not laugh, and failing miserably. "You know that playhouse in our backyard?" Mitchie nodded and slowly realised what Nate was telling her. She moved away from Shane slightly and looked at him. His face was bright red and he had taken a sudden extreme interest in his shoes.

"That roof? But it's not even that high!" Mitchie was trying not to laugh, but was finding it increasingly hard.

"It's only a about a foot higher than I am tall" Jason explained quietly to Marie and Eliza, who both tried to stop themselves laughing too on discovering that.

"Wait guys, it gets better. Guess when this was." Nate said, in between gasps of laughter. "Last year!"

That had them all on the floor as their laughter filled the room. Shane sat embarrassed for a few moments before joining them, laughing at his own foolishness.

The laughter and memories continued on a while, yet too soon the clock reached midnight and their eyes were starting to close by the own accord.

"I guess we should be getting to sleep, big day tomorrow." Nate said, ever the business man, moving off the sofa with a stretch. "Night all" He called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the room he was sharing with Shane and Jason.

One by one they all moved to their own rooms.

Eliza and Marie sat in the bedroom they were sharing, getting ready to sleep. Marie watched her sister who sat smiling broadly into the mirror brushing her hair, one of her pre-sleep rituals.

"I really enjoyed tonight, didn't you?" Eliza asked, looking at her sister's reflection behind her.

"Yeah it was good. Listen, Eli..." Marie trailed off, unsure how to phrase what had been going through her head for the last few hours.

"What's up Ri?" Eliza asked worried, crossing the room in mere seconds, taking a seat on the bed beside her little sister, wrapping a caring arm around her. "Missing mom and dad?"

"No, it's not that" Marie said, looking down at the blanket avoiding her sister's eyes, "do you think maybe you're, I mean we're, getting to close to them already? I mean, we promised mom and dad we, well I guess you more than me, would keep our distance from them and yet here we are after one night spending the whole time with them acting as if we are the best of friends, getting close to them. What if we end up getting to know them really well, which we will if we carry on like this, and slipping up? I just think maybe..."

Eliza stood and moved away from Marie, hurt filling her eyes.

"Stop. Marie just stop." The anger was clear in her voice. "You persuade me to go to the diner, practically begging and now, after a great night where, I'll remind you, I made sure to mention nothing that could give away the truth in any way, despite all the stories I spent the night hearing, all the memories we were told of which I could have been a part, and **now, **now you choose to have a go at me? When I've done nothing wrong! I can't believe you Marie! If you're going to have a go at me every time I spend any time with them, then maybe you coming on this tour was a big mistake."

With that Eliza crossed the room, turned out the light and got into bed.

Tears formed in Marie's eyes as what her sister had just said sunk in.

"Eli?" Marie's voice was quiet, but it echoed across the dark, silent room.

"Go to sleep Marie." Eliza responded angrily.

The two girls lay in silence, gradually drifting off to sleep.

Eliza tossed and turned, having an eerily realistic dream. A dream about how things could have been, if just one decision was changed. But throughout the dream, something, or more someone, was missing and things weren't how they should have been.

Eliza woke a few hours later as her dream reached its climax. She glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the bed across the room.

"Marie?" She called out quietly. When she received no response she tried again. "Ri?"

Eliza slowly got out of bed and moved over to Marie's. She stood looking down at the sixteen year old she had grown up with, one of the most important people in her life who had helped her through so much despite being the younger one. Eliza lay down beside Marie, wrapping her arms comfortingly around the young girl once she noticed the dried tear tracks on her face.

Before she fell asleep Eliza whispered into Marie's ear; "You may be a right pain, and we may not always get on, but I'm so glad you're my sister Ri, by blood or not, and I'd always choose you over them. But I have to get to know them, and you have to accept that. Please Ri, I don't want to lose you over this." Her eyes drifted closed slowly and her dreams were full of happy sisterly memories.

When Marie awoke a few hours later to find her older sister lying beside her, she knew everything would be okay, one way or another, this tour would do Eliza good.

**AN: There you go. Can't wait to hear what you have to say about this chapter, so please review!**


	11. Tour Buses

**AN: Back from my weekend away with another chapter for you all. **

The next morning things returned to normal between Eliza and Marie after a brief conversation where they eventually agreed that spending time with their tour mates would be a good idea, as long as they were careful.

Now everyone sat in the hotel suite eating breakfast awaiting Eric's arrival, when they would be told the plans for the day ahead, before the opening night.

"Good morning all." Eric greeted as he entered the suite, noticing how well everyone was getting on. Part of him regretted the agreement he had made the night before which meant he had to create a partial divide, especially when he had no idea why it was necessary (he hadn't really bought the 'no distractions' excuse.) "Everyone ready for today?"

He was greeted by mild enthusiasm from the young group in front of him.

"That's it? Well, I guess you are all that interested in seeing your new tour buses then? Fine, I'll just go let them know they aren't needed." Eric started to leave the room, counting to three at which point he received the expected reaction.

"We get to see them now? We never get to see them before the first show!" Shane blurted out, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Did you include the extras we wanted?" Jason asked, sounding surprisingly like pre Camp Rock Shane Grey.

"You'll have to go and see for yourself Jason." Eric responded, knowing Jason wasn't meaning to be rude. Seconds later all three boys were stood waiting beside Eric to be allowed to see their new mode of transport.

"Come on girls, you'll love this." Nate said as he noticed the uncertain looks the girls exchanged. None of them could understand how a bus could be exciting.

"You have your own private bus, designed to suit your needs." Eric explained, approaching the female members of the group, "And between you and me," he whispered to them conspiratorially, "yours is better than theirs." He indicated over his shoulder to the boys waiting impatiently by the door. The girls slowly grew excited and joined the boys.

As Eliza made her way to the door Eric took her gently by the arm.

"Do you mind if I talk to you just for a moment?" He asked. Eliza shook her head and began to worry about what she may have done to land herself with a private talk with the tour manager. "You'll still have time to see the bus, don't worry."

Eric told the rest of the group to head downstairs where Ian, his assistant, would show them the buses, and that he and Eliza would follow them shortly. Marie gave her sister a concerned look, silently asking if she should stay behind too. Eliza responded with a small shake of her head, indicating that the younger girl should stick with the others. With that Marie left with the rest of the group, throwing one last anxious look over her shoulder before the door shut behind her.

"Why don't you sit down Eliza?" Eric suggested as he seated himself on one of the sofas nearby. Eliza took a seat opposite him slowly, still confused.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked.

"I had a very, erm, interesting talk last night with Paul and Denise Grey, the boys' mother and father. I'm not sure you've met them?" Eliza shook her head, now even more apprehensive as to where this conversation was going.

"We'll they didn't seem too happy seeing you on the stage during yesterday's rehearsal and they came to talk to me about it. They want you to be removed from the tour." Eric felt it was only right to inform the young girl of the full situation.

Anger flared in Eliza's eyes as the words Eric has just spoken sunk in. She stood and started to pace as words tumbled from her mouth.

"How can they do that? It's not fair, the first night's **tonight!** It's not like you can go out and find a new artist, can you?" She didn't wait for an answer, "How dare they, why do they think they have the right to try and get _me_kicked off the tour, it's not my fault, I didn't choose..."

"Miss Austen!" Eric yelled, stopping the young girl mid sentence and, unintentionally, preventing her from letting her secret slip out. "I said they '_want'_ you off the tour, not that you _are_ off the tour. You are correct, they have no right to try and remove you from this tour and I made that very clear to them."

Eliza returned to her seat opposite Eric, looking straight at him.

"So why are you telling me then?" She asked.

"Firstly, because I felt it was only right you were fully informed of the situation" Eric explained, "and secondly because there are some terms I had to agree to, to get them to accept your, as well as Mitchie and Caitlyn's, place on this tour."

"What kind of terms?" Eliza enquired. Her thoughts drifted back to her conversation with Marie last night and that morning, a conversation she was beginning to feel would soon become irrelevant.

"After we leave LA, you girls will be staying on a separate floor to the boys at every hotel, and when not at the stadiums you are expected to spend little time with Connect 3, so you don't distract them." Eric saw the flash of sadness which crossed Eliza's face and his guilt returned. "Of course," he continued, "we won't always be able to keep an eye on you, so if you and the boys happen to be at the same place, same time, and it could be construed as rude and bad publicity for you to be seen not spending time with them, well, we might just happen to be busy at that time and not notice." He winked, hoping she'd realise that he was indicating she could ignore these new rules to some degree, as long as she was subtle about it. Eliza smiled back at her tour manager. A question popped into her head and she spoke it before she thought it through.

"Do you know?" She asked, wondering if the man in front of her had been informed of the strange circumstances surrounding her and Connect 3's relationship.

"Do I know what?" He responded, a look of genuine confusing crossing his face, instantly alerting Eliza to the fact he was as in the dark as the others.

"Er, why they wanted me off the tour?" She responded, changing the meaning behind her original question quickly.

"They'd rather you didn't distract their precious sons. They can't stop Shane, Mitchie, Nate and Caitlyn, but they can attempt to stop you distracting Jason." Eliza nodded, trying to keep calm as she listened to the lie the people who were supposed to be her parents had spun.

"So how about we let you go join the others in exploring your bus?" Eric asked crossing the room and opening the door as Eliza followed slowly behind.

"Thanks. For telling me that is." She said sincerely as she walked past him. He smiled in response as he shut the door behind them

The boys sat in the lounge area taking in their new bus. Nate was sat on the large armchair nearest the television scanning through the large collection of DVDs and video games they had been given. Every so often he could be heard to whisper 'I love this film' or 'we've gotta play this' or similar sentences.

Jason on the other hand was sat on the sofa nearest the large window, staring out of it at the carefully positioned hanging bird cage which had the Connect 3 logo imprinted on it which hung just in view. It had been the one item that, when asked what they wanted on their bus this year, Jason had insisted on. He didn't want to miss out on a chance to see more birds, even if it wasn't the most logical place to have a bird cage.

Shane sat on the sofa in the centre of the room looking around at his surroundings. He'd been on tour so many times, but recently he'd just taken it for granted. This time he was going to take it all in, as if this was their first tour again. Yet as he sat there, as much as he tried to focus his attention on all of the stuff which had been placed on this bus especially for them, he found his thoughts kept drifting back to a certain red headed musician who had been held back in their hotel room. Eliza Austen.

In the short, and he meant very short, time he'd been getting to know her, something had struck Shane as odd. Every time he or his brothers had talked about a childhood memory the night before, Shane had noticed an odd sadness cross her face, which she would swiftly cover with an exaggerated grin. He also hadn't missed the glances she kept exchanging with her sister throughout the night nor the warning look which filled the younger Austen's face each time. Something was going on with Eliza Austen and Shane was determined that by the time the next two months were over he would find out what it was.

"What do you guys think of Eliza and Marie?" Jason asked, pulling his attention away from the bird cage. Apparently Shane wasn't the only one who had the newest members of their group on their mind.

"I think they're cool, at least they seemed to be last night. And they have some pretty good stories between them." Nate remarked, moving to sit beside Shane as Jason took a seat in one of the bean bags nearby. "But you know what I was thinking?" The others shook their heads. "If you just looked at them, from their appearance you wouldn't really think they were sisters. It's only when you see how they interact that you realise they must be. I mean that silent talking thing? It's kinda creepy." Shane thought about it. His younger brother was right; the two girls didn't look anything alike. He wouldn't say he and his brothers were identical, but there were enough similarities between them that you could tell they were from the same gene pool. With Eliza and Marie that just wasn't the case.

"Well I think they're great, they totally fit in with our group and it's nice to have someone younger for Caitlyn to hang out with when Nate's busy, and someone older for..." Jason trailed off as he noticed the look in his brothers' eyes and realised where their thoughts were heading.

"Someone older for you to be with?" Shane finished his older brother's sentence for him."

"Maybe" Jason mumbled, looking at the floor. He was happy that for once he wasn't going to be the 'old' one on the tour, that this time it wouldn't be a few months of feeling like the chaperone to his younger brothers and their girlfriends, or at least if it turned out to be like that, there'd be someone else there with him.

"How old is she anyway?" Shane asked.

"Twenty-two I think. Same age as Jase, though I don't know when her birthday is exactly, her internet bio didn't say." Nate responded. Shane realised he should have known Nate would take the time to look up the details of the people joining them on tour, it's what Nate did. He liked to be informed.

"So she'd be the perfect age for you Jase, you know, if you're interested." Nate continued, hinting heavily, trying to follow the instructions his girlfriend had given him earlier that morning. For the past few months Nate, Caitlyn, Mitchie and Shane had started to feel slightly guilty that they were couple-y a lot, leaving Jason to be alone. Now they had been handed a perfect opportunity for him to finally have someone of his own to be a couple with, and the girls had decided they weren't going to let it pass, roping Nate and Shane in to help.

"Look, I told you guys, I'm not interested. And after what she was saying about relationships last night, it doesn't sound like she is either." Jason was still trying to understand the strange feeling of déjà vu he got whenever Eliza was around, like he knew her, even though he obviously didn't. He decided to try and change the subject. "Why don't we go check out the girls' bus, Eric said it was better than ours and I want to know if it really is."

**AN: Another chapter for you guys. I'm enjoying writing this story, though less people seem to be enjoying reading it, but I will keep updating anyway. If you get a chance, let me know what you think, I have big plans for where this is going.**


	12. Exploring and Explanations

**AN: After receiving lots of amazing reviews for the last chapter I thought I'd treat you to another one! Here you go:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock.**

"This bus is huge!" Marie squealed, poking her head out of the door which lead to the bedroom which had been designated as hers. Each girl had a room to themselves on the upper floor of the double-decker. "I swear this room is bigger than mine at home."

Mitchie looked at the girl with an eyebrow raised.

"Okay maybe not but still, it's ridiculous for a bus." All three girls had spent the last five minutes running around their bus excitedly. Now Caitlyn and Marie were in their bedrooms checking out the finer details whilst Mitchie watched them with an amused expression on her face. Sure the bus was amazing, she'd never seen anything like it, but she didn't feel it caused the same excitement for her as it did for the other two.

"Oh man, this bed is _so_ comfortable. They could just scrap our hotel rooms; I'd happily sleep here every night." Caitlyn sighed from inside her room.

"I bet you won't be saying that in two months time." Mitchie said. "Come on girls, I want to look around downstairs more." They'd barely look at the lower deck, being more excited by their private rooms.

"Okay, okay I'm coming" Caitlyn said, dragging herself off of the very comfortable single bed (smaller than the beds that were usually provided as a precaution, there were a lot of in love teens travelling on this tour after all.) Shortly the two other girls joined Mitchie.

"It's going to be weird walking around on this thing while it's moving. On school trips they force you to wear seatbelts and you're never allowed to stand up and move around, yet once you become famous that all changes. How stupid is that?" Marie had been considering the hypocrisy of this recently.

"I know what you mean, but I guess it's just that there are less people on here, plus it's a different type of bus, so they can let us be less safe. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep much when we're travelling, I've never been able to sleep on planes or anything." Caitlyn explained.

The other two nodded in agreement as they all reached the lower level. From the bottom of the stairs they could see down the entire length of the bus.

Closest to them was the kitchen. It was only small, with a fridge, sink, oven and microwave, though the girls were pretty certain it would see very little use as the guys had informed them that the only time they ate on the bus was breakfast and midnight snacks, the rest of the time they either went to restaurants or ate at the venues.

There was also a small eating area with seats and a table big enough to fit eight people, leaving the girls to assume the boys would be spending some time on this bus.

Beyond this area was a large sitting area which had a huge wide screen TV, an impressive speaker system and shelf upon shelf of CDs, DVDs and Wii games which could be played on the console which sat below the TV.

At the very back of the bus was some glass doors, beyond which was another small seating area, including a sofa which stretched across the back wall. There was also a small table located in the centre of this room. When Ian had given them a brief tour of their bus earlier he had explained that this area was sound proofed and had blinds which could be drawn to provide the occupants total privacy if any of the members of the group needed it. He told them that the label hoped they would use it for composing new songs in private, but that he was sure it would be put to other uses as well, causing the three present members to giggle in response.

Both floors also had a small bathroom with a walk in shower, however they had been advised to only use it if it was extremely necessary whilst the bus was moving as showering on a moving bus, as the boys had learnt over the years, could prove to be very dangerous. Jason had once had to go on stage with a large bandage covering his head as he had been in the shower when their bus hit a particularly large speed bump.

As the girls finished exploring and took a seat to spend some time just taking it all in, the door opened and Eliza walked on board. Marie and Caitlyn jumped up from their positions on one of the sofas and rushed over to the eldest girl, squealing about all of the buses awesome features. Eliza exchanged a questioning look, over the heads of the two hyper girls, with Mitchie who just laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

Eliza allowed Marie and Caitlyn to drag her all over the bus pointing out everything and anything, ending upstairs.

"And this," Marie said, "is your room." She opened the door revealing Eliza's bedroom for the next two months. She gasped in surprised. A few weeks ago she had been asked questions about how she wanted her room, the colours, the extras she wanted, and now she stood here taking in the room which looked exactly as she had requested. She hadn't believed they would make it suit her so well.

"This is amazing" She said, wandering in and spinning around, taking in everything, from the small radio on her bedside table, to the duvet which was covered in pictures of birds, from the television which was positioned directly in front of the bed, to the desk on which a stack of manuscript paper sat. It was as if they had taken the image of a room she had in her head, and provided it for her here on this bus.

After the grand tour was over they joined Mitchie back in the sitting area.

"There's chocolate in the fridge." She informed them, taking a bite from her mars bar. The two youngest of their female group rushed to the kitchen as Eliza jokingly sighed.

"Did you have to tell them that? They are hyper enough as it is." Moments later the others returned, chocolate in hand.

"They've actually given us loads of food." Mitchie said, explaining that while Eliza was being shown around, she had decided to raid the kitchen.

"At least we won't starve while travelling." Eliza said.

"True. So, what did Eric want?" Caitlyn asked, causing all attention to focus on the oldest girl.

At that moment the bus door opened and Ian entered with another woman who went through the other door at the front of the bus. Ian walked over to the group when he spotted them.

"Hey girls, what do you think? Nice enough for you?" He asked.

"It's pretty good, could be bigger" Mitchie joked. "So what's the plan for today?" She asked.

"That's exactly what I've come here to tell you. They want you over at the stadium for a final costume check, lunch and then sound check before you get put in lockdown, so we're going to drive you over there now." He explained.

"Does that mean we get to travel on the bus now?" Caitlyn asked, causing Mitchie to laugh at just how excited her best friend was getting at the smallest of things.

"Yes indeed it does. And I want to introduce you to Angela." Ian said, walking back to the front of the bus. "Angela, can you come out here a sec?" He said, knocking on the door the woman had walked through earlier, which separated the driver's cabin from the bus. Seconds later the woman walked out. She was tall, with a curvy figure and long blond hair pulled back into a low pony-tail. She was wearing a chauffer's cap, dark black skinny jeans and a T-Shirt which had the Connect 3 logo on it, underneath which were the words "with special guest stars Mitchie Torres and Eliza Austen." It was the official tour T-shirt that most of the crew had taken to wearing.

"Girls, this is Angela, your personal bus driver. She's the only one allowed in the driver's cabin so if you see anyone else behind the wheel, inform someone immediately."

The girls had been told last night the story of when some stranger high-jacked the Connect 3 tour bus last year while the guys were asleep. The bus only got a few metres down the road before it was pulled over and the sixteen year old culprit was taken away by the police.

They greeted Angela who informed them that she had been driving for nearly twenty years and would make sure they got from one venue to another the quickest, and safest, way.

**Over on the guys' bus a similar conversation was occurring.**

"You guys remember Mark from last year? And this time you won't let the bus out of your sight, will you?" Eric asked the thirty year old driver stood beside him. Mark shook his head and headed to the driver's cabin.

"And Shane," Eric continued, "this year there will be _no_ attempts by you to drive the bus, you understand?" Shane nodded, slightly saddened that his plan to get more bus driving practise had already been ruined.

Eric continued, explaining that they were going to head to the stadium, as the bus's engine kicked in. He was met with complaints from the three boys who stated that they wanted to see the girls' bus.

"You'll just have to wait until we get to the stadium. It's only a twenty minute journey. I need to talk to you anyway." Eric led the boys to the seating area where he proceeded to inform them of the rule changes, as he had Eliza. However he chose to leave out the fact that it was their parents who were insisting on it.

"...we realise we can't expect you to spend no time with the girls, especially when Mitchie and Caitlyn are your girlfriends, but we request you try to keep a limit on your social hours when you should be working." He explained. The boys had looks on their faces which informed Eric they were not impressed.

"So what, we aren't allowed to hang out with them? Why? We've had girls on tour with us before and you've never made this kind of rule. They've always stayed in the same hotel suite as us." Shane said.

"The label just thinks it would be better to stay a bit separate and not allow the girls to become a distraction. Do you know how lucky you are that they've been allowed to join you on this tour? Especially you Nate."

"What about Eliza and Marie, do we have to stay away from them too?" Jason asked, a saddened tone in his voice.

"Especially them Jason and especially with you. A lot of rumours could be created if you are seen to spend too much time with them and that's not something the label wants." Eric was desperately trying to come up with excuses to cover the fact that he didn't know the real reason behind Paul and Denise's odd request.

"We don't have a choice do we?" Nate concluded a few minutes later.

"I'm afraid not. It isn't that you can't see them at all, just keep it to a minimum." Eric explained.

The bus came to a halt moments later and Eric left, saying he would meet them inside when they were ready.

"They can't ban us from seeing the girls, it's not fair!" Shane said, acting more like a three year old than the eighteen year old he really was.

"I'm not sure what we can do to stop them." Nate said, wracking his brains trying to find a way around these new rules.

"I've got an idea." Jason said, eliciting groans from his brothers. "No, this one isn't about birds." He explained, regaining their attention. "They can say we aren't supposed to spend time with them, but what can they do if it's discovered part way through a four hour journey between venues that the girls are accidentally on our bus." He said.

"It would work, if they didn't check all the buses had their rightful occupants on board before we leave." Nate said.

"So we'll just have to get a crew member on board to help us." Shane said and instantly they all knew who he meant.

"It might just work." Nate said, showing a rare smile.

Meanwhile on the girls bus...

Ian had left to take his place on the crew bus, leaving the four girls to enjoy their first bus journey alone. Eliza couldn't help but laugh at the look on her sister's face. It was almost identical to the one she had every Christmas morning. It made Eliza even more pleased she had brought Marie along.

"So what did Eric want?" Marie asked quietly in case the answer was one Eliza didn't want the others to know.

"Actually it was something he wanted me to tell you all, whilst he's telling the guys" Eliza explained, getting Mitchie and Caitlyn's attention. She went on to lay down the new laws to the girls. She received that same confused and angry response as Eric had from the guys however Eliza had made sure that the girls knew the real culprits behind it.

"How can they insist on that? What is their problem?" Mitchie was furious. She was getting to the point where she was sick of Paul and Denise Grey and their attitude. She and Caitlyn started a debate between themselves about just how unfair the parental Grey's were.

Meanwhile Eliza and Marie carried on their conversation quietly, hoping the other two wouldn't notice.

"So why did he want to speak to you specifically?" Marie asked, sensing there was more to this story than her sister was explaining.

"They tried to get me kicked off the tour." Eliza explained bitterly.

"What!" Marie yelled, stunned. Eliza nodded indicating that her sister had heard her correctly

Their conversation hadn't been as quiet as they thought which the looks on Mitchie and Caitlyn's faces showed.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" Mitchie asked, "They tried to get you kicked off the tour?"

"Er yeah, at least that's what Eric told me. They didn't want me distracting their precious sons so they want me off the tour."

A stunned silence echoed around the room before looks of fury filled every girls eyes before Mitchie, Caitlyn and Marie all spoke at the same time.

"I cannot believe they think they have the right to do that." Marie said.

"They are just pathetic. Is Eric telling the guys what their parents are up to?" Mitchie asked

"Seems like it's only Marie they haven't tried to get rid of. " was Caitlyn's response.

It took Eliza a few minutes to decipher all three sentences.

"I'm guessing that's just the kind of people they are Ri. No Mitchie, the boys are being told it's the record label's rules and they aren't being informed of the attack on me, that's what I was supposed to tell you but I didn't see the point of lying to you, just don't tell the guys the truth. And Caitlyn, what are you talking about?" She had to take a long deep breath after all of that.

"Well now that Mr and Mrs Grey have tried to get you off the tour, it's only Marie they haven't tried to get rid of. They tried to get Shane and Nate to break up with us." Caitlyn explained, indicating to herself and Mitchie.

"Seriously?" Eliza asked, shocked. Everything she was learning about her real parents was making her happier and happier that she didn't grow up under their care. "What did they do?"

"They used two different methods." Caitlyn said.

"Explain?" Marie demanded, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Well..." Mitchie went on to tell them the story of her disastrous dinner. When she had finished Eliza and Marie's faces help similar expressions, a mixture of anger and sympathy.

"But you and Shane are adorable together." Marie exclaimed, causing Mitchie to blush.

"That's so unfair of them. To say it behind your back is bad enough but to pretend like nothing was said afterwards, that makes it even worse." Eliza said.

"Oh, I'm not sure, I think what they did to Caitlyn and Nate was worse." Mitchie responded.

"What did they do to you?" Marie asked her new best friend.

Caitlyn was about to launch into her story when the bus door opened and Eric walked on, informing them they were at the arena and were needed as soon as possible.

As the girls gathered their stuff and made their way off the bus Caitlyn promised the others she would tell them her tale while in lockdown later.

The minute they set foot in the arena they were separated, being taken to complete various pre-show tasks. Day one of the tour was most definitely underway.

**AN: I hope you liked that. I will try and keep updating frequently, so look for a new chapter on Thursday/Friday. Thank you for reading, see you next chapter!**


	13. Opening Night

**AN: Okay so technically this is late as, it being after 12am here, it's no longer Friday but please forgive me, I've been busily writing later chapters in the story. It's finally opening night, enjoy.**

"We want you to stay here and when they guys are done with their sound check and question time we will get you on the stay to do your checks okay?"

The girl's nodded in response to their assistant Tabitha who was filling them in with the details of their lock down time. It was mere hours until the first live show and the nerves had yet to hit. They were now seated in their backstage area waiting patiently for their go on the stage.

As Tabitha left the girls dropped back into the conversation that had been interrupted earlier in the day.

"So what did Denise and Paul do to you?" Eliza asked. She was trying to understand exactly what kind of people her birth parents were.

Caitlyn sighed before launching into her story.

* * *

_A week had passed since the Mitchie dinner disaster and Nate and Caitlyn found themselves in the firing line. After Shane had mentioned Nate was also in a relationship, and Mitchie had left, Paul informed his youngest son that they would expect to meet the new girl within the week._

_Caitlyn had been fully informed of how Mitchie had been treated. Now, as she sat in the Grey's family living room, her boyfriend of little over a month sat beside her gripping her hand tightly, her nerves were starting to get the better of her._

"_Nate, I don't think I can do this." She whispered. Nate wrapped his arm around her supportively._

"_No matter what they say, they aren't going to change how I feel about us, I promise." He was fully aware that the night which lay ahead would not be an easy one. _

_Moments later Paul and Denise entered the room, serious looks covering their faces._

"_Hello, you must be Caitlyn. I'm Denise and this is my husband Paul" Caitlyn shook hand with both adults, trying her best to smile and appear confident._

"_It's nice to meet you." Caitlyn said. Denise let her eyes scan the girl stood in front of her._

"_That's an interesting outfit," she said, "very colourful." Caitlyn hadn't been sure whether to dress up or be casual so she'd gone for a mixture. She was wearing a pair of pale pink skinny jeans, a blue polo top and a bright yellow blazer. It wouldn't be Caitlyn if it didn't contain a lot of colour._

"_Look, let's cut to the chase." Paul stated after everyone had taken their seats. Nate returned his arm to Caitlyn's shoulders, uncertain what would be said next._

"_We don't feel Nate should be in a relationship right now. He is going to be very busy with the new album and the tour and we'd rather he focus on that than some girl with very little experience of dealing with someone in this career and, quite frankly, a girl who isn't good enough for him." Paul Grey held a nasty sneer on his face as he said this. Caitlyn's jaw dropped open as the very direct insult which had just been thrown at her sunk in._

"_Dad, how can you say that?" Nate exclaimed, furious at his father, "I care about Caitlyn a lot and I won't let you just tell me when and who I can and can't date."_

"_We are just looking out for you Nathan. I'm sure Caitlyn's an interesting girl, but she isn't right for __**you**__. You two breaking up now before things get too serious is what's best." Denise tried to take a gentler approach._

"_With all due respect Mrs Grey," Caitlyn, not one to be told what to do by an almost complete stranger, spoke up, "You don't know me, but I believe your son knows me very well, as do his brothers as a result of this summer. Do you really think all three of your boys would allow me into their lives if I wasn't someone worth that position?" Nate squeezed her shoulder, his silent signal of congratulations._

"_You're right dear, I don't know you. My sons, all of them, have been known to make bad decisions in the past, it was part of the reason Shane had to attend that camp this year leading to all this trouble. So I'm afraid no, I don't trust their judgement, and I don't trust you." Denise made her view extremely clear._

"_Whatever happened to that other girl Nathan? The one with her own television show? She was much more the type of girl we feel you should date, you made a very acceptable couple, why did you throw her away?" Paul asked, completely ignoring the fact Caitlyn was still in the room._

"_That's enough!" Nate yelled, shocking everyone in the room. They were not used to this reaction from the youngest, often quietest, member of Connect 3. "__**I**__ will be dating Caitlyn. __**You**__," he said, indicating his parents, "will not have a say in it, especially when you haven't even taken the chance to get to know her. She means a lot to me so either you accept that we are together or you make me choose between you. Right now, I'm pretty certain who I'd choose." Nate looked at Caitlyn and winked, making it clear to all present who would be chosen._

_After a few minutes silence Paul responded._

"_Fine, we will give you a chance," he glared slightly at the now thoroughly intimidated girl, "but let's make it clear, we are not happy about this and we certainly do not approve."_

_Nate stood, taking Caitlyn's hand and pulling her up with him._

"_Trust me, that's perfectly clear." He said before leading Caitlyn out of the room. She paused at the door, turning back to Nate's parents._

"_Thank you for taking the time to meet me. It was __**the least**__ you could do." With that she left the room. She was greeted by Nate wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. Within minutes Shane and Jason, who had been listening through the door, joined them._

"_Group hug!" Jason yelled, lightening the mood slightly. The three brothers gathered around the now teary eyed girl, encompassing her in the centre of their hug._

_

* * *

_

"That's horrible!" Marie gasped, giving Caitlyn a gentle hug.

"Hey, I'm still here all these months later, so it's all good." Caitlyn responded with a slight smile. Since that meeting Caitlyn had made sure to avoid the older Greys at all costs. They still didn't approve, but after a few weeks they gave up trying to separate her and Nate.

"Mitchie, Eliza," Tabitha called from the door which had just opened, "they want you on the stage for sound check."

* * *

"I don't think I can do this." Eliza said. Her hand shook as she lifted her water bottle to her lips, taking a long sip. Marie rolled her eyes.

"You say that every time and every time it turns out you blow the audience away. Just wait until you're on that stage, you are going to rock." The younger girl responded.

They were now sat in Eliza's dressing room. Eliza was wearing her stage outfit, a thing strapped black and white dress which fell just above her knees, paired with a pair of red stilettos the exact colour of her hair.

Fifteen minutes ago everyone gathered at the side of the stage. Good luck wishes had been exchanged and Mitchie had taken her place on stage kicking opening night off. Now, moments before she had to take over from Mitchie, Eliza's nerves were getting the better of her.

"What if I forget my lyrics? Or the choreography, it's much more complicated than it was at any other shows. What if I fall over on stage? That would be mortifying! Maybe the Greys were right, maybe I should be kicked off this tour, I'm not good enough to perform alongside Mitchie Torres, and definitely not on the same stage as Connect 3!" Marie lightly smacked her older sister over the back of her head, making her stop. Eliza panicked before every live performance, but this was the worst she'd seen her sister be.

"You've never forgotten anything on stage before, and if you do, so what! No one will care as long as you carry on performing. They aren't here to see you be perfect, they are here to see you be real. Go out there and give them an amazing performance, which I'm certain you are capable of. If you fall over, it will be hilarious; you'll be all over YouTube. It happens, deal with it. And you are more than good enough to perform alongside the rest of them, you're better than them! Now stop worrying, go out there and _enjoy_ it." It was the exact pep talk Eliza needed, and very similar to the one Marie gave her before almost every one of her sister's performances. Minutes later the nerves were gone and excitement had taken over.

* * *

Are you all having fun tonight?" Mitchie yelled from her position centre stage. She was half way through her act, and loving every minute of it. The crowds' insanely loud screams kept encouraging her.

"This is my new single; it's out next month for you to buy." With some help from Connect 3 Mitchie had written this song after her final conversation with Tess Tyler on the last day of Camp. "This is called 'La La Land'."

The opening guitar rift started playing and Mitchie grabbed the mike, loving every minute of her performance.

_I am confident but_

_I still have my moments_

_Baby, that's just me_

_I'm not a supermodel_

_I still eat MacDonald's_

_Baby, that's just me_

She moved towards the front of the stage, high fiving some of the fans stood there. Being able to perform live was quickly becoming one of Mitchie's favourite things.

_Well some may say I need to be afraid_

_Of losing everything_

_Because of where I_

_Had my start _

_And where I made my name_

_Well every thing's the same_

_In the La La Land Machine, machine, machine_

_Who said I can't wear my_

_Converse, with my dress_

_Well baby, that's just me._

Mitchie pointed to the converse she was wearing as she sang that. They were her favourite pair. On their last day at Camp Rock, whilst sat on the dock, Shane had taken a permanent marker and written 'Always' on one shoe and 'Forever' on the other. She'd insisted on wearing them on stage.

_Who said, I can't be single,_

_And have to, go out and mingle_

_Baby that's not me _

_No, no_

_Some may say I need to be afraid_

_Of losing everything _

_Because of where I _

_Had my start _

_And where I made my name_

_Well everything's the same_

_In the La La Land_

Tess had told her she wouldn't succeed, that everyone would realise it was only Shane's fame which was giving her success, and she would soon enough become the latest pop failure. Standing there on stage she was proving Tess wrong.

_Tell me do you feel the way I feel_

_Cos nothing else is real_

_In the La La Land_

_Appeal _

She belted the note out, showing the crowd her incredible vocal skills.

The guitar solo rocked out. She and Nate had spent hours going over that solo, making sure it was absolutely perfect. Caitlyn had helped them out, working out the production side of things. It was the first song they had all worked on together and when it was done they all knew it would be a hit. Looking at the crowds' current reaction, Mitchie couldn't wait until its release date.

_Some may say I need to be afraid_

_Of losing everything_

_Because of where I _

_Had my start_

_And where I made my name_

_Well everything's the same_

_In the La La Land machine_

_Well I'm not gonna change_

_In the La La Land machine_

_I will stay the same_

_In the La La Land_

_Machine!_

She belted out once more, screams echoing all around her. She held the note as long as her lungs would allow her, her pre-tour training coming in very useful.

_Machine_

_Machine_

_I won't change anything in my life_

_(I won't change anything in my life)_

_I'm staying myself tonight_

_(I'm staying myself tonight)_

She ran back and forth across the stage high fiving the crowd as her band rocked out in the background. This was fast becoming one of her favourite songs in her set. As the music came to an end Mitchie returned to centre stage, a spotlight pinpointing her location. As the last note rang out Mitchie grabbed the mike stand, staring out at the crowd and winked. She laughed and continued with the rest of her set.

* * *

Shane stood at the side of the stage watching as his girlfriend dance around the stage giving an incredible performance which had the audience screaming her name. He had to admit, he was stunned by her confidence in front of this sold out crowd, it was miles away from the girl he had met at Camp Rock. She had come a long way. Shane couldn't wait, as much as he loved performing with his brothers, the moment he was most looking forward to that night was the opportunity to once more sing his heart out to the girl he loved, live on stage.

He wanted to be there for her as she came off stage, but that was still some time away and Graham was already stood behind him insisting that he return to his dressing room. He really wished they could have a new assistant, maybe if their current one mysteriously disappeared... Shane sighed, turning back to his dressing room. One night he would be sure to be there to congratulate her as her set ended.

* * *

As Mitchie left the stage ten minutes later, her first night of performing over, adrenaline continued to rush through her veins. She ran to her dressing room where she was greeted by Caitlyn and Marie, who were sat impatiently waiting to hear all about the first performance on opening night.

"It was amazing." Mitchie sighed happily, slumping into a chair as, through the speakers which allowed everyone backstage to hear what was going on out front, they heard Eliza begin.

* * *

"You guys have been an incredible audience! Who's excited about seeing Connect 3?" Eliza asked the audience in front of her. Screams rang out through the crowd, making Eliza smile. "Well you don't have long to wait now, this is my last song of the night." Groans were heard, almost as loud as the cheers beforehand had been. Pride filled Eliza's heart as the opening note played, "This was my first single, sing a long if you know the words."

_You told me_

_There's no need_

_To talk it out cos it's too late_

_To proceed, and slowly_

_I took your words and walked away_

_No looking back_

_I won't regret no_

_I will find my way_

_I'm broken_

_But still I have to say_

She sang the words that rang true about the one person who had ever broken her heart. One person who had inspired so many of the songs she had now released, and someone she hoped never to meet again.

_It's alright, it's okay_

_I'm so much better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

_Alright, okay_

_So don't you bother what I do_

_No matter what you say_

_I won't return _

_Our bridge has burnt down_

_I'm stronger now_

_Alright okay_

_I'm so much better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

This had been one of the first songs she'd ever written. She still to this day remembered sitting on her bed, guitar in hand as tears slid down her face, thinking back over the relationship they'd shared.

_You played me _

_Betrayed me_

_Your love was nothing but a game._

_Portrayed a role_

_You took control, I_

_Couldn't help but fall_

_So deep_

_But now I see things clear_

Looking back on the weeks she spent wishing he would come back, wondering if she'd made different choices, would he still be hers? But as she looked out over the crowd who were singing the chorus along with her she saw just how right she had been in her decision.

_It alright, it's okay_

_I'm so much better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

_Alright, okay_

_So don't you bother what I do_

_No matter what you say _

_I won't return_

_Our bridge has burnt down_

_I'm stronger now_

_Alright, okay_

_I'm so much better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

As the song reached its bridge she poured all of her anger and frustration into it, singing the words she wished she'd had the courage to say to him.

_Don't waste your fiction tears on me_

_Just save them for someone in need_

_Its way to late_

_I'm closing the door_

_It's alright, it's okay_

_I'm so much better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

_Alright, okay_

_So don't you bother what I do, yeah_

_No matter what you say_

_I won't return_

_Our bridge has burnt down_

_I'm stronger now_

_Alright, okay_

_I'm so much better without _

_I'm better without you_

_I won't be sorry_

_It's alright, okay, alright okay_

_Without you_

_No matter what you say_

_It's alright, okay, alright, okay without you_

_I won't be sorry._

She stood there, arm raised in the air, her hand clenched in a fist. She hadn't planned to end in that position, it had happened by itself, yet as she stood there she felt powerful and she felt pleased. She was here, on stage, performing in front of thousands of fans. She had made it.

"Thank you so much, you guys have been incredible! Now, without further ado, give it up for the incredibly talented Connect 3" She screamed the bands' name into the mike as the three boys walked on stage and an almighty cheer erupted through the stadium. As she walked past them she wished them luck before disappearing off the side of the stage.

**AN: There you go, their opening night. Sorry it's long, I just really wanted to end it there. Things will really start moving forward now, trust me, I have so many ideas for this story! Hope you liked it. Sleep time for me, make my day and leave me with an inbox full of comments in the morning? Thanks.**


	14. Learning On The Move

**AN: Another day, another chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock, in case that wasn't clear already, I also don't own 'La La Land' by Demi Lovato or 'It's Alright, It's Okay' by Ashley Tisdale, forgot to mention that last chapter. I don't own Hamlet either. Wow I don't own a lot, maybe I should buy some stuff. **

Eliza was sat on the tour bus which was quiet for the first time since they boarded it after the final LA show last night. She stood looking at the calendar on one of the walls which had every tour date recorded on it. The first three now had red crosses through them and as the bus continued its journey to San Jose, Eliza found herself focused on show number four at the HP Pavilion.

Eliza had the bus to herself for the next few hours of travel. Marie, Caitlyn and Mitchie had joined Nate on board a third, smaller bus, for their study time, something which all three had greatly protested against. Eliza was very relieved she no longer had to study, but wasn't looking forward to frequently having to sit on the bus alone for long periods of travel.

She moved up the stairs to her bedroom, picking up her guitar as she entered and taking a seat on her bed, strumming a few chords to make sure it was still in tune. She'd had part of a melody running through her head all morning and decided to take the chance to get it down on paper.

_CR-CR-CR_

"I thought I didn't have to do biology this time, after all the extra I did in summer." Nate complained to Julie, their tutor. She had been working for Connect 3 since they were signed and having seen two of the three members successfully graduate in her care, the label were only too happy to place three new student in her charge.

"The deal was you'd only have to do one module in it if you passed all your extra summer work Nate, but as you are well aware, you didn't because you were too busy getting to know _someone_ at Camp Rock, so you have to redo the ones you failed." Julie smiled at Caitlyn, indicating to the young girl that she didn't really mind that Nate had been distracted. Nate turned back to his text book, mumbling unintelligible things under his breath as he tried to get his brain to understand the difference between meiosis and mitosis.

"Miss Lane," Marie called to the tutor, "can you explain this to me again? I really don't understand it." Julie crossed the bus to where Marie sat trying to simplify the algebraic equation in front of her.

"It's easier than you think, just remember 'First, Inside, Outside, Last', FOIL, and that it makes a monkey face." Julie explained, showing the younger girl exactly what she meant. Marie smiled.

"Oh, I get it. Man my maths teacher has been trying to teach me that for years, one day with you and it finally makes sense. Thanks." Julie Lane smiled, please she had made things clearer. She wandered over to her two other pupils.

"You two are being very quiet. Give me the notes please." She stated, holding her hand out to Mitchie and Caitlyn. The two girls looked up at her with innocent eyes for a few minutes, but when Julie just kept staring at them expectantly their resolve caved and they handed her the small stack of paper which their pile of secret notes created.

"You won't get anything past her." Nate chimed in. "Me, Jase and Shane have tried it all over the years and somehow she could always tell. She has a sixth sense or something." Julie gave Nate a disapproving look and he quickly turned his attention back to biology.

"Sorry miss," Caitlyn said, "I just don't get why I have to learn all this Shakespeare stuff." She indicated to the copy of Hamlet which lay on the desk in front of her. "I want to be a music producer, how is this ever going to come in handy?"

Julie took a seat beside her and picked the book up, turning through a few pages until she found the part she was looking for. She pointed to a section of text.

_ Who would fardels bear,_

_To grunt and sweat under a weary life,_

_But that the dread of something after death,_

_The undiscovered country from whose bourn,_

_No traveller returns, puzzles the will,_

_And makes us rather bear those ills we have,_

_Than fly to others that we know no of?_

_Thus conscience does make cowards of us all_

"Tell me Caitlyn, what is Hamlet saying there?" Julie asked.

"He's saying that it's the fear of the unknown that keeps people from killing themselves when life gets too hard. The fact that we don't know what comes after death, which no one returns from, makes us put up with what's going on in life and that makes us cowards." Caitlyn explained, with a few glances at the notes she had been making to be sure she got it right.

"Basically, yes." Julie praised.

"But, I still don't get how that will help me with music production." Caitlyn couldn't see where Miss Lane was going with this.

"Studying this is helping you understand what the meaning behind the words is, despite the odd language right?" Caitlyn nodded, "So isn't that really important in music, understanding the meaning behind the songs you produce, to help them best convey that meaning?"

"I guess," Caitlyn responded." But why Shakespeare? Why can't I just study song lyrics?" Julie laughed

"Because sadly Hamlet is part of your curriculum, and 'Play My Music' isn't." She explained.

"Well it should be" Caitlyn mumbled causing Nate, who had been listening in so he could avoid biology, to smirk.

"Tell you what," Julie addressed the whole group, "work hard today, get your work done, and done well, and in tomorrow's session we can have a music class." Everyone seemed pleased with that compromise and got straight back to work.

_CR-CR-CR_

"So you see Dean, we just want to spend some time with the girls, but the label won't let us, which is why we need your help." Shane explained to their bodyguard and good friend who had agreed to join the boys on their bus for this portion of the journey for a private chat. It was the first time since Eric had explained the new rules three days ago that they'd had any chance of privacy.

"I can understand where you're coming from; these new rules are pretty ridiculous." Dean responded.

"So will you help us?" Jason asked hopefully.

"If it means that much to you then I'll see what I can do." The guys exchanged a high five; glad their plan was coming together.

A short while later Shane and Jason were relaxing in their seating area, the TV on in the background, quietly playing the show which stared Nate's ex girlfriend. Jason's phone had been going off every now and again for the last ten minutes.

"Who you texting?" Shane asked from his position on the sofa opposite his older brother.

"Eliza." Jason responded. "She says her bus is very dull without the other three girls."

"Oh yeah, I forgot she wouldn't be studying with them. See this is where these rules are stupid. Eliza is forced to spend loads of the journeys alone whilst Nate has to spend time with the girls while he studies. It's ridiculous." Shane complained, pulling out his own phone to text Mitchie and continue his moaning. This was not how he expected this tour to go. He expected long hours travelling with his girl in his arms. He'd spent the summer turning his act around, yet now he seemed to be trusted even less than before. Jason's phone chimed again, pulling Shane's attention back. "What's she saying now?"

"She's going to write a song since she's got time to waste. I told her she's giving in to their plans and she should let us distract her so we can rebel."

"And you say you don't like her." Shane commented.

They'd all made sure to exchange phone numbers before boarding their buses. If the label weren't going to let them distract each other in person, face to face, then they'd do it in secret, mobile to mobile.

_CR-CR-CR_

Eliza had just finished writing the notes for the chorus to her new song, and was trying to work out to lyrics to go with it, when her mobile rang. Certain it would be Jason trying to continue his rebellion, she answered without checking the screen.

"Stop trying to distract me!" Eliza said jokingly down the line.

"Eliza? Sorry we didn't mean to disturb you, we can call back later if it's better?" Eliza's face blushed as she recognised her father's voice.

"Dad, no it's fine, sorry I thought you were someone else."

"That's quite alright, as long as we aren't interrupting?" Eliza informed him that he wasn't. "Your mom's here too, let me just put the phone on speaker." Eliza waited as she heard some typing occur on the phone handset before both her parents' voices rang out.

"There we go" Her dad said before her mom joined in.

"Hi sweetie, how is everything going?" Melissa Austen asked.

"Really great! Three shows down and I'm loving it more and more each day, the fans are absolutely amazing, I'm so glad I get to do this." Eliza wandered across her room, standing by the window and staring out as the countryside passed her by. She could tell this was going to be a long conversation.

"That's great. How's your sister, is she enjoying it too" Her dad questioned.

"Yeah, very much so. She's made a really good friend in Nate's girlfriend Caitlyn; the two of them are inseparable." Eliza explained.

"Is she there at the moment?" he asked.

"No, she's on another bus at the moment with the tour tutor doing her school work. It's only me on this bus currently."

"How were the first shows?" Mrs Austen enquired.

"Amazing. The crowd screamed so loud while I was performing and they sang along to the songs as well, it was so weird." Eliza and her parents fell into a natural conversation slowly, with Eliza letting them know all the details of the tour so far, and her parents updating her with the latest family news.

_CR-CR-CR_

"How are you doing?" Julie asked Mitchie who had been working hard for the last half hour after Julie confiscated her phone to stop her constantly texting Shane.

"Nearly finished, I just need to write a conclusion." Mitchie said, glancing up from the history essay she was currently writing. "I really like all this history stuff. If I wasn't a singer, I'd totally want to be a historian."

"Well you've got something to fall back on then." Julie responded encouragingly. "We're stopping at a service station in about ten minutes. If you've finished the essay by then you can go back to your bus if you want." She explained. Mitchie smiled and immediately turned back to her essay.

"Does that count for us too?" Nate asked, still trying to avoid his biology. The other two looked up hopefully.

"No Nate, you are all well aware you have to do one session more than Mitchie a day as you're further from graduating than her." Their groans in response filled the bus. "Stop moaning, after the break we'll move onto a joint subject which is a bit more fun. Now, back to work."

Julie laughed as she saw the sulky look which crossed Nate's face. He could be overly serious sometimes, but force him to so school work and his immature side came rushing out.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Miss Austen?" Angela's voice rang through the bus' intercom, interrupting Eliza mid conversation.

"One second mom." Eliza crossed to the intercom, "Yes Angela?" She responded as she pushed the talk button.

"Sorry to interrupt but we're about to make a short stop, do you need anything?" was the driver's response.

"No, I'm fine thanks, I think I'll just stay here." She moved back to the bed and returned to her conversation.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Boys we're making a pit stop, anything you want?" Mark called through the speaker system. Shane moved to respond.

"Yeah, we'll get out and have a look around, thanks." He crossed to the stairs, Jason steps ahead of him. They both grabbed their hats and sunglasses, which would act as partial disguises, as the bus pulled to a halt.

"I'm so buying sweets." Jason said as they waited to be allowed off.

"Is that your thing to buy every stop this year?" Shane asked. On each tour they'd been on previously, Jason had an item he would buy at every service station they stopped at. A few years ago it was coffee and after he'd drunk it, he'd kept the cups as souvenirs. Last year he'd bought a chocolate bar each time and made a massive collage out of all the wrappers. This year Shane and Nate had a bet going on what it was going to be.

"No, that would be stupid, tasty, but stupid." Jason said.

"Well what is it this year then?" Jason was about to respond when Dean re-entered the bus, giving them the all clear.

"You'll have to wait and see." Jason said, putting his sunglasses in place and leaving the bus, Shane quickly following behind him.

**AN: Another chapter down. What did you all think, quite a short one this time. Reviews would be much appreciated, make this author feel loved ;)**


	15. Mitchie And The Box Of Chocolates

**AN: Another chapter and something big happens in this one. Also, we reached 50 reviews, thank you so much! Enjoy****!**

******Disclaimer: I only own the plot. **

Eliza was still on the phone to her parents ten minutes later when the pit stop was over. The call was moving onto a more serious topic, Eliza's real family.

"Yeah, so it seems that, despite not seeing me for the past twenty years, they are very much aware of who I am." Eliza concluded after telling her parents the full story of Paul and Denise trying to get her kicked off the tour.

"That's so unfair of them." Sandra said.

"The worst bit is the label isn't even being honest about it. They've decided to pretend these new rules are the company's choice, not Mr and Mrs Grey's, so the guys aren't aware of what their parents are up to." She complained.

"Eliza, we understand how difficult this situation must be for you and how much you may want to tell them the truth but when we adopted you we made an agreement with Paul and Denise that we would make sure neither you nor Jason would discover the truth. Now, it was our right and our choice to tell you, but it's up to them to tell their sons, so you _must_ not say anything, you understand? As much as you may not like their parents, it wouldn't be fair." Her dad tried to make sure his daughter didn't make a mistake. "We let you go on the tour because we trusted you, is that still possible?"

Eliza was so focused on listening to her father trying to persuade her to keep her big secret quiet that she didn't hear the front door of the bus open.

_CR-CR-CR_

Having spent her break with Shane, Mitchie decided to join Eliza on the girls' bus for the remainder of the journey. She felt rather guilty that her new found friend had been left alone on their bus for the majority of the morning and decided the two of them deserved a girly afternoon as they continued to travel.

Mitchie looked around the ground floor of the bus only to conclude that Eliza must be upstairs in her room. She grabbed the box of chocolates Shane had just treated her to and headed up the stairs. As she approached Eliza's bedroom door Mitchie heard her fellow popstar speak, and the words she heard gave her a rather large shock.

_CR-CR-CR_

Eliza responded to her father's request, none the wiser of her fellow tour member stood outside.

"So I'm _never_ meant to tell them? They're _never_ allowed to know the truth of their family? There'll never be a time when I can talk to Nate, Jason or Shane where they aware they are my brothers? Sorry but that's ridiculous." Eliza yelled, furious at the situation she was in. She could accept she was adopted, she could accept that her birth parents didn't want her but they wanted her three brothers, but what she didn't think she could take much longer was this pathetic situation. As her father started to respond Eliza froze. She'd heard a crash outside. Had she just screwed everything up, by accident? Or was there some crazy fan on the bus?

"Just a second," She said interrupting her dad mid sentence. She crossed to her bedroom door, grabbing her guitar on the way as a form of defence. She slowly pulled the door open, peaking her head out cautiously. There in the hallway, with a very shocked look on her face, stood an extremely confused Mitchie Torres.

"Dad," Eliza said into the phone, her gaze never leaving the girl in front of her, "I'm going to have to call you back."

_CR-CR-CR_

"Cuddly toys? That's what you're going to buy at every place we stop? What are you, three?" Shane exclaimed as Jason proudly showed his brother the purple teddy bear he had purchased.

"No, actually, I'm twenty." Jason defended himself. "Sorry you lost the bet Shane, but I thought this time I'd actually buy something productive."

"How are cuddly toys productive?" Shane questioned his older brother, slumping onto the sofa. He'd been sure he was going to win Nate's tenner, but then he should have known his older brother would go and choose something really dumb this year.

"They're very productive. I'm going to give one to each of the girls to remember the tour by, then I'll give the rest to a children's hospital so the sick kids can have something special to play with even when they're stuck in bed feeling rubbish." Jason explained proudly, he'd really thought it through this year.

"Wow, that's actually a decent idea. Maybe me and Nate could get something like that too, it'd be really good publicity." Shane said, thinking how much better his rep, which was taking a long time to repair even with Camp Rock, would be.

"No." Jason stated, holding the purple teddy very possessively. "This is my thing, you guys always said that every other tour when I suggested it, why should you get the good PR now? We could just buy the hospital one big toy at our last stop from all of us to be given with all the little ones."

Shane could see how much it meant to Jason so he agreed. He was actually very proud of his brother. As much of a bird brain as his brother often was, there was no denying Jason always thought of others over himself.

"So, Mitch wouldn't come on this bus. I told her to bring Eliza too but apparently they needed to have 'girl time'." Shane explained, slightly offended that his girlfriend had chosen the newbie over him.

"Chill Shane, there'll be loads of other chances to spend time together. Just think, the time apart will make the time together so much more special." Shane nearly gagged at his brother's attempted kind words.

"Have you been reading Caitlyn's romance novels again?" He asked

"Yeah, they're really good. And so happy. I like them." Jason said, completely unaware of the strange look Shane was giving him. "Oh, while you were off being all goo goo eyed over your girlfriend me and Nate got talking, he wants us to choose somewhere to go for the rest of today once we get to the hotel. Apparently Eric's giving us the rest of the day off to have fun." He explained.

"Fun? We never get to have fun while on tour." Shane said, highly surprised they were being given a whole afternoon off.

"Apparently Eric's actually feeling bad about the new rules so he's decided to be nice to us." Jason placed all the tourist information leaflets he and Nate had picked up at the service station on the table and started to flick through them.

_CR-CR-CR_

"I knew I should have gone into the sound proof booth." Eliza muttered to herself before walking over to Mitchie. "I didn't know you were back." She said to the still shocked girl in front of her.

"Nate, Jason and Shane are your... brothers?" Mitchie said, confused.

"Oh, you heard that? I can explain?" Eliza tried to think up an excuse but found her mind was drawing a blank.

"How can they be your brothers?" Mitchie asked, still frozen in place.

"Mitchie..." Eliza moved next to her tour mate, placing a hand on her arm gently. Mitchie jumped; surprised the other girl was suddenly so close. Confusion clouded her eyes as she looked up at Eliza. "I can explain, just give me a chance, okay?" Eliza pleaded. Mitchie gave a small nod. "Can we go somewhere a bit more private?" Eliza asked, gaining another nod.

They headed downstairs and into the booth at the back. Eliza wanted to be sure that if Caitlyn suddenly turned up her secret wouldn't be revealed twice in one day. Mitchie took a seat as Eliza paced back and forth trying to work out where to start.

"Is it true?" The question made Eliza stop abruptly, turning to face the younger girl. She sunk onto the sofa, her head in her hands. There was no way around it, she'd screwed up, doing exactly what she had been about to promise her dad she wouldn't. She lifted her head slightly and muttered her response.

"Yes."

Silence once again filled the bus as both girls tried to work out what to say next. Mitchie was the first to speak

"They don't know?" Eliza shook her head, looking up at Mitchie with sadness in her eyes.

"You can't tell them." She begged. She knew Mitchie would want to tell Shane, but she also knew that if the boys found out, then their parents would find out and if that happened not only would she be off the tours, but she'd probably find herself being sued for breach of contract or something equally ridiculous. She imagined it was the kind of thing the Grey's would do. She couldn't believe that it was only three days into the tour and already she'd screwed up.

"I'm guessing no one's meant to know." Mitchie said. She could see just how worried the girl sat beside her was and she moved closer, wrapping her arms around Eliza. "I won't tell him, it's not my place. I wouldn't even know what to tell him. I still don't understand, how can they be your brothers?" Mitchie couldn't help her intrigue.

"It's a long story." Eliza said. Part of her wanted to move onto some other topic, to get away from this situation but another, almost stronger, part wanted someone else to know the truth.

"Well this bus won't be stopping for another hour or so, so no one will walk in and interrupt us. I think we've got time." Mitchie gave Eliza's shoulder a supportive squeeze, sensing the oldest girl needed someone to talk to.

"I'm adopted. Marie isn't really my sister, though we may as well be, we've grown up as sisters her entire life. My parents weren't supposed to tell me the truth, they were supposed to keep it a secret, that's what they agreed when they adopted me, but they didn't think it was fair. That's why I know, but why I'm not supposed to tell anyone. It's not my place to, as my dad said. That's what I was talking to him about when you overheard." She looked up at Mitchie, a small smile breaking out as she remembered the look on Mitchie's face, chocolates all over the floor around her.

"Sorry about that." Mitchie said guiltily.

"It's fine, I should have been in here instead of my room if I wanted proper privacy. Right, so yeah, I'm adopted. Turns out that when Denise was pregnant with Jason the doctor told her she was only having one baby, a boy, so they'd prepared for that, but when she gave birth out I popped, a rather large surprise." Mitchie couldn't help but chuckle at the way Eliza was explaining it.

"Apparently throughout the pregnancy I was hiding behind Jason, so no one could tell I was there. It's a really rare thing to happen and in most cases only one baby lives, but I guess Jason and I were fighters and helped each other survive."

"So you and Jason are twins?" Mitchie asked. Seconds later a panicked look spread across her face.

"What?" Eliza asked, confused by the look Mitchie was giving her.

"Erm, don't be mad but, me and Caitlyn may have been trying to play matchmaker and getting Shane and Nate to help us." Mitchie explained, her face blushing red.

"Mitchie, please say you haven't..." Eliza trailed off as she realised what her friend was saying.

"We _may_ have been trying to get Jason to ask you out. You guys seemed really good for each other, and Jason being single makes us feel bad about being couple-y, so we thought if we got you and Jason together it would be really good for everyone."

"Mitchie!" Eliza squealed, hitting her friend round the back of her head with a nearby cushion.

"How was I supposed to know you were twins?" Mitchie defended, throwing the cushion back.

"Well you better put a stop to it before things get very, very awkward." Eliza responded.

"I'll try! How funny would it be if your brother asked you out though?" Mitchie said, cracking up at the thought.

"Not funny at all! I wouldn't even be able to tell him why I was saying no." She groaned, burying her head in the cushion in annoyance. "I hate you." She mumbled.

"No you don't. And anyway, think of it this way, if you hadn't accidentally let me find out, things could have been much worse." Mitchie had a point. "So come on, I want the rest of the story. You were born a surprise baby, how'd you end up with the Austen's?"

"My adopted parents had been trying to have kids for a while and had signed up to this adoption agency. When the Grey's realised they suddenly had two children, and decided they couldn't take care of both of us, they contacted the same agency and my parents were asked to take care of me. They met the Grey's before they took me home and were asked to keep the whole thing a secret, though why I really don't know. My parents named me and made me a part of their family. 4 years later my mum got pregnant with Marie and our little family was complete.

"So you've lived with the Austen's your whole life?" Mitchie asked

"Yeah and now I've met Denise and Paul I've come to realise just how lucky I am." Eliza smiled, realising for the first time she wasn't angry that her real parents had given her up; in fact she was truly happy she'd grown up with her adopted family. Sure, she would've been able to know her brothers if she'd grown up a Grey but she would have never known Marie and she was pretty sure she wouldn't have been where she was today.

"That's why they want you off the tour, isn't it?" Mitchie asked, all the pieces falling into place.

"Yeah, though no one in the record label knows that. I'm guessing they recognised my name when Jason was telling them about me the day of the full run through and are scared I'm going to tell the guys their big dark secret."

"You should." Mitchie said, "The guys deserve to know and their parents have no right to keep it a secret from them."

"Yeah but as I said, it's not my place to tell them, it has to be Paul or Denise that does. They may be horrible people but they deserve a chance to explain, to the guys at least" Eliza explained, surprising herself as well as Mitchie.

"You're way kinder than me." Mitchie joked, "You should at least confront Paul and Denise, you might manage to persuade them to do the right thing, maybe threaten to tell if they don't."

Eliza thought about that suggestion. For some reason she'd never thought of it. She'd been informed that the Grey's would be attending a few of the later shows, maybe she should take Mitchie's advice. The worst that could happen would be that she got kicked off the tour and if that's what it took for the truth to be revealed, she'd willingly let it happen.

"You might just have a point there." Eliza said, high fiving the girl beside before they started to plot.

**AN: So someone else knows. What did you think? Please let me know. Also, the traffic thing is driving me crazy because it's broken, so I have no idea how many people are reading this, but if you are I really appreciate it! **


	16. Raging Water

**AN: The weather here is ridiculously nice and my laptop battery is dead, hence the lack of updates. But here's one. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Camp Rock or SOS or any of the places mentioned here. Shame.**

_CR-CR-CR_

The tour buses pulled up outside the hotel they would be spending the next two nights at in San Jose. As the journey to Oakland, the stop after this one, was less than an hour away they were being allowed an extra night in the hotel and a lie in the morning before they left, a tour rarity.

Everyone gathered in the conference room where they were being told the plans for the next few days.

"Okay everybody" Eric yelled, causing the room to go quiet, "you've all been given your room keys, go get settled and check everything is as it should be. Crew, you are required at the HP Pavilion in two hours to start setting up the stage. Artists, you've got a free afternoon. Choose a few things to do, alert Dean and his team so they can make sure the necessary security plans are in place, and go have some fun." Eric threw them a smile. After three days of hard work in LA he thought they deserved a break. "I expect you back at the hotel at ten at the latest as I need you awake by nine am tomorrow, got it?" The group nodded, "Good. Off you go." He finished up, ending the meeting. Slowly the room cleared, leaving only the gang.

"Meet in our suite in half an hour and we'll decide what to do, okay?" Shane instructed the others

"What about me and Caitlyn, we aren't 'artists'" Marie joked, referring to Eric's earlier address.

"Shush miss smarty pants. You have no choice but to come with us, I don't trust you out there in the big wide world." Eliza stuck her tongue out at her little sister, a surprisingly frequent occurrence between these two.

They all bundled into the elevator together, rising up floor after floor. After a few seconds of silence (a rarity when the seven of them were together) Jason spoke his thoughts aloud.

"We should put our music in elevators." He suggested. "It would be better than this rubbish." The elevator was filled with quiet, poorly recorded, classical music.

"Yeah, I can see people standing in an elevator listening to S.O.S. You'd never get teenagers to leave; they'd just spend their day going up and down." Caitlyn said.

"_Ooh, this is an S.O.S, don't want to second guess..._" Nate suddenly sang, before the doors sprung open interrupting his impromptu performance.

"This is our floor." He announced, noticing the light above the door read 20. "See you in thirty minutes?" The girls nodded before the boys left and they continued up one floor to the suite which would be theirs.

As they entered the suite they gasped in unison. There was a whole wall made of glass which gave them a stunning view of the city. They'd thought the suite in LA was nice, but this was a class above. Marie and Caitlyn ran into two rooms located next to each other on the left hand side of the room, calling out moments later that the rooms they were in were now taken. The older girls laughed and entered the two rooms on the right hand side, unaware that this would become a tradition for the rest of the tour. Eliza sat on the double bed in her room, suitcase beside her and smiled. Now they weren't in LA anymore it finally hit home that she was really here, on tour, with her real family, her sister, and two people who she could tell would become a big part of her life in the future.

She started to unpack her stuff, smiling as she came across the photo of her and her adopted family she had packed. She placed it on her nightstand, homesickness suddenly overcoming her. She couldn't help but wonder whether, when the Austen's took her home as a baby, she'd felt anything, whether she had known that something had been taken away from her, something was missing. She also wondered if the whole 'twin vibe' which people always talked about was true. Was there some deeper connection between her and Jason? None of these were questions she could answer, but that didn't stop her asking herself.

_CR-CR-CR_

Half an hour later, having fully unpacked all of their stuff, the girls stood outside the door to the guys' suite, impatiently waiting for it to be opened.

"I thought it was girls who are supposedly always late?" Caitlyn said.

"I bet Shane's re-straightening his hair and doesn't want to let us in until it's done." Mitchie joked.

"Have you ever seen it un-straight?" Eliza asked, genuinely curious.

"Can't say that I have." Mitchie said, "I tried to persuade him to leave it natural once, even stole his straightners. Really didn't work though, he actually said he'd use an iron if I didn't give them back, so I had to relent." The other three couldn't help but laugh at the image of Shane standing with his head against an ironing board attempting to iron his hair straight.

At that moment, with the girls in fits of laughter, Jason pulled the door open. It was an odd sight to be greeted with, all of them practically doubled over laughing at some unknown joke. Jason just walked back into the room, leaving the door open. He knew better than to interrupt girls when they are being weird. They soon calmed down and walked into the room, only to instantly notice the look of anger Nate was giving his older brother as Shane walked happily across the suite, suitcase in hand, into one of the bedrooms.

"They had a fight about who got the largest room." Jason explained. "I think you can guess who won and who's being the sore loser." Caitlyn walked over to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his shoulder.

"Did my baby lose the fight?" She asked him.

"It wasn't fair, he cheated." Nate grumped, folding his arms across his chest.

"Wow your 'baby' really is being a baby." Shane commented, returning to the room. "Cheer up Nate, plenty of other big rooms in the rest of the hotels."

"What are we doing today then?" Jason asked taking a seat opposite Naitlyn as he tried to avoid another argument breaking out over a room which was only fractionally larger than the others. Everyone followed his lead until all seven of them were squeezed onto the two sofas.

"Did you guys get to look at what there is to do?" Nate asked his brothers who nodded in response.

"We had a look too, got some ideas." Mitchie explained. After her and Eliza's little private discussion had ended they'd spent the majority of the remainder of the journey looking through some tourist leaflets Mitchie had picked up.

"There's this really cool sounding 'mystery house' we could go to. Apparently it's haunted by all these people who were killed by Winchester rifles." Shane suggested.

"I don't want to go to a haunted house, ghosts freak me out." Marie stated, getting goose bumps just at the thought of it. Caitlyn nodded in agreement.

"Okay, what else is there?" Nate asked, having taken control of the meeting.

"There's this huge rose garden me and Liza really want to go to. They have like, 189 different types of roses." Mitchie suggested.

"I didn't know there _were_ that many types." Caitlyn said, "That sounds good, can we go there?" Shane groaned in protest but rapidly shut up when Mitchie hit him round the back of his head.

"That'll be outside, lots of nature, let's do that!" Jason exclaimed, getting excited at the thought of being able to spend some time with the great outdoors.

"Looks like that's decided then, though I doubt it'll take the whole afternoon. Any other suggestions?" Nate asked making a note of the information on the garden from the leaflet Eliza had given him.

At almost exactly the same time, as if they had pre-planned it, Eliza and Jason gave the same response.

"Raging Waters." Their ability to talk in sync caused the others much amusement.

"Did you guys plan that or something?"Shane asked. They shook their head, surprised with themselves.

"What's Raging Waters then?" Marie asked.

"It's a water theme park with loads of cool rides." Jason explained.

"I'm up for that." Shane stated. The others nodded in agreement, except for Nate who looked rather concerned.

"It'll be a security nightmare." He said, thinking through the logistics of the trip, "plus there'll probably be loads of people who are our target age group and thus they will want our autographs."

"So what?" Shane reasoned, "It's part of our jobs. We'll sign a few autographs, pose for some photos, make some peoples' days and get to go on some fun water rides at the same time. Live a little bro." Reluctantly Nate agreed, after it was decided that if anything went wrong, Shane would be held responsible.

Moments later Dean had been informed of the day's plan and the group were climbing into a car, swimming costumes, towels and spare clothes in their bags, ready to have an afternoon of fun.

_CR-CR-CR_

They spent the next three hours experiencing the rides, with the added benefit that, since they were famous and all, they didn't have to queue. Eliza felt guilty and sometimes let others go before her, but it did mean that in the short time they had free they were able to do a lot more.

"Okay guys, if you want to go to the Rose Garden then you're going to have to choose one more ride to go on here and then we'll have to leave." Dean explained. After consulting the park map they came to a unanimous decision before quickly making their way to Shotgun Falls.

"Right, if we pair up then we can go down at the same time and it'll be more fun." Shane suggested before quickly grabbing Mitchie's handing, indicating that she was his partner. Nate did the same with Caitlyn, leaving Eliza, Marie and Jason to decide between themselves.

"You go down with Jason, Ri, it's cool with me. Plus, I know you want to be able to laugh at me going down, which you won't be able to if you're with me." Eliza decided

"You sure?" Her sister asked.

"Yep, I don't want to get caught in his big splash at the end anyway." She joked. Jason stuck his tongue out at her, causing them both the laugh. It was bright blue from an ice lolly he had been eating earlier. With the decision made Jason grabbed hold of Marie's hand as his brother's had their partners (something which made the fan girl in her inwardly squeal in delight) and they lined up behind Nate and Caitlyn. As Eliza moved into position behind them someone moved beside her.

"Oh My God! You're Eliza Austen! My friends said you were here but I didn't believe them, but clearly they were telling the truth because here you are!" She giggled nervously, clearly overwhelmed to be meeting a celebrity. "I'm Jessie." She stuck her hand out for Eliza to shake.

"Nice to meet you. I used to have a good friend named Jessie." She gave the young fan a smile, getting a squeal in reaction, something she was still not used to.

"That's so cool, maybe we can be friends then you can have another friend called Jessie?"

"Maybe." Eliza turned her attention back to the giant water slide, watching as Mitchie and Shane flew down it, Mitchie screaming the entire time.

"I'm coming to your show tonight. I like Connect 3 but you're way better than them and I'm only really coming to see the concert because you're performing. I mean I was thinking about getting tickets before they said you'd be one of the opening acts, but I wasn't sure but when they said you'd be there I went and bought tickets instantly." Jessie gave Eliza her biggest smile, hoping to prove to the famous girl stood beside her just how much of a fan she was. Eliza watched Nate and Caitlyn take their turn on the slide, Nate giving her a small kiss before they slid down. She couldn't help but laugh at their cuteness.

"Well I hope you enjoy it." Eliza said to Jessie.

"Oh I'm sure I will. I can't wait to hear what you're performing, I haven't looked it up because I want it to be a surprise, but I'm sure what you sing will be good, all your songs are so good. My friends and I sing them in the car all the time." Eliza was beginning to wish she'd made Jason go alone. It wasn't that she didn't like talking to fans, it's just she found that too often they didn't know when to stop.

Jason and Marie took their places on the slide. Jason gave Marie's hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance before the pair slid down. At Jason neared the pool Eliza saw him spread his arms out, clearly trying to prove her right about a big splash. She watched as her sister disappeared under the tidal wave that he created, resurfacing shortly afterwards, one of the happiest smiles on her face Eliza had ever seen.

"Next" the incredibly bored looking teen in charge said. Eliza and Jessie took their places. Eliza couldn't help but think the slide looked quite a bit steeper from here.

"Enjoy the show tonight" She said to Jessie, giving her a big smile before taking off. The wind rushed through her hair as she slid faster and faster, the pool of water rapidly approaching her. She squealed as she went faster still until suddenly she dropped off the end and was plunged deep into cool water. She resurfaces mere seconds later, only to find Jason and her sister in the midst of a splash fight having completely missed her descent. Soon the whole gang joined in and it was only once Dean came to tell them they had to get going that the then full on splash war was ended.

_CR-CR-CR_

In the changing rooms twenty minutes later Shane was starting to regret persuading Nate that coming here was a good idea.

"Why did no one tell me that going in all that water would un-straighten my hair? I can't go out in public looking like this!" He exclaimed, point to his now very slightly wavy brown locks. "I should have brought my straightners, I'm such an idiot." He moaned. "There's going to be photos of it all over the entertainment sites tomorrow, this is so embarrassing." Nate sighed, growing tired of Shane's constant hair complaints.

"Grow up man, it's just hair and you're a guy, you shouldn't even care. Just say you're going for a new look to match your new, better attitude, easy. You better finish getting changed fast; I doubt the girls will be too pleased if we don't get to go to this rose garden." Nate grabbed his stuff together and shoved it into his bag. "I'm going to go find Jase in the gift shop. I hope he's not trying to buy the whole place again like last time." With that Shane was left to deal with his less than perfect hair. He finally resigned himself to the fact there was nothing he could do and quickly joined Nate and the others. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was quite looking forward to seeing all the roses. Sue him; he was a romantic at heart.

**AN: There you go, sorry it's kinda short, I'll try and get another chapter up tomorrow maybe (if the weather isn't as nice.) Who's got tickets to the CR2 tour? And did anyone watch the Lost finale (I got up at 6am to see it). Send me your thoughts.**


	17. In The Rose Garden

**AN: Another update. I did mean to get this to you earlier but I had some other jobs to do**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or the songs I'm using in this chapter. Can I stop putting this now?**

Half an hour after their departure from Raging Waters they pulled up outside the San Jose Municipal Rose Gardens. As they got out of their car they were instantly hit by the scent of the flowers. Shane was still complaining about his none straight hair and had decided it was necessary to place a hat on top of it to try and hide its wavy-ness. Mitchie grabbed his hand and started to drag him into the garden, hoping the flowers would distract him from his hair issues.

"Everyone meet back here in an hour okay?" Dean called out as the group dispersed into the gardens.

Mitchie and Shane wandered off to spend some alone time together, whilst the others agreed to just wander around as they pleased and meet back at the gates when the time came. Eventually Eliza found herself wandering alone beside a section of pink roses. Marie and Caitlyn had gone off together, determined to see all 189 varieties in the hour. From where Eliza stood she could see them stood by what her map told her were "Voo Doo" roses. She laughed as she watched them lean down and smell them, take a photo and then skip off happily, further into the garden. Eliza continued to wander, stopping now and then just to look around. She loved places like this, they were so peaceful.

She watched Jason, who was sat on the edge of a nearby fountain. She smiled as she saw him attempt to catch a butterfly which was fluttering by and nearly ending up in the water as a result. It reminded her of when she was younger, trying to catch one as it flew over the pond they had in their back garden. She'd been so determined to get it she'd forgotten the pond was there and had ended up drenched head to foot, the butterfly nowhere to be found.

She was pleased everyone seemed to be enjoying their second activity of the day. She continued to wander further and further into the gardens, stunned by how many different roses there were, from the classic red and white, to the more oddly named, such as the 'Bon Bon' and 'Ole'. As she neared a section where the 'San Jose Sunshine' was located she could've sworn she heard someone singing. It was a song she'd never heard before, but it suited their location perfectly. She rounded the corner, following the sound of the voice and there, sat on a bench staring at the roses, was Nate. From the look in his eyes Eliza had a sense he didn't even realise he was singing aloud, that he was lost to his creativity.

_In the rose garden_

_Where the rain is falling_

_And the thorns are sharpenin'_

_The rose garden_

Eliza softly took a seat beside him, accidentally starling the young boy.

"That was really good," She enthused, "is it new?" Nate blushed at having been overheard and nodded his head slightly.

"I just kinda felt inspired and the words flowed, you know what I mean?" Nate explained, hoping she, as a fellow song writer, would understand.

"And now I'm guessing you want your guitar so you can write more of the song." Eliza smiled at him, knowing just how he felt. She found inspiration would hit at the most random, and often inconvenient, of times. When it did all she'd want to do is write.

"Yeah, though it's nice here so it's not like I want to leave just so I can go and write the song, I'm just worried I'm going to forget the lyrics, or the tune, by the time we get back to the hotel." Nate sighed. There had been so many songs he had lost because of an inability to get them out of his head to somewhere he could look back at them later.

"Aha!" Eliza said, making Nate jump, "That's where the handy mobile phone comes in." She held her hand out, indicating he should hand his phone over. He did so, curious as to what she was going to do.

"Most phones have built in voice recorders now." She explained, loading his and handing the phone back to him. "Just sing a rough version into that, write the lyrics in a draft text message and you'll never lose a song again."

Nate thanked her and with that Eliza stood and continued her wander through the roses as Nate's softly singing voice slowly faded away behind her. She came to another stop beside Jason, who had just stood from his spot at the fountain.

"Hey Eli," he greeted. In as long as she could remember, no one had called her 'Eli', only ever her full name or 'Liza'. She liked that Jason was being original. "Fancy a trip to the gift shop with me?" He asked. Eliza nodded and allowed him to lead the way. When they got to the shop they found everyone but Nate having a look around. Jason made his way over to the small selection of cuddly toys, trying to decide which one to purchase for his collection. With them being allowed to actually visit places in the areas they were staying this tour, Jason had decided he would by items at each gift shop too, as he reasoned it would mean more happy sick children.

"This is adorable." Marie exclaimed from her position beside him. Jason hadn't noticed her turn up. When he turned to look at her he saw she was holding a tiny teddy bear which was holding a small yellow rose which had a red tip. He thought it looked much nicer than the giant stuffed cuddly rose he had picked up. He smiled at her as she put it back and she wandered over to see what Eliza was doing. Jason picked up the bear Marie had been looking at, deciding it was perfect.

**_CR-CR-CR_**

The group returned to the hotel at five to ten, after having a casual dinner at a restaurant near the gardens. Once again the guys bid farewell in the elevator and the girls travelled up to the floor above. When they entered their suite Mitchie and Caitlyn headed to the small kitchenette, grabbing the vases that had conveniently been placed there (clearly other people had been made aware of where they were going) and placed the bouquets of roses their boyfriends had brought in them.

"You know," Marie whispered to her sister, "sometimes I am rather jealous of them two."

"What, because their boyfriends get them flowers?" Eliza asked. Marie nodded in response. "Just get Jared to buy you some when we get back." The sad look on Marie's face alerted Eliza to the fact the something was wrong. "What happened?"

"We broke up. It's no big deal, things weren't working, we realised a while ago, this tour, and the distance, just proved it to us. It was a mutual thing." Marie shrugged as Eliza hugged her sympathetically.

"There's always Jason," Eliza joked, "I bet he's even more romantic than his brothers."

Mitchie and Caitlyn disappeared into their respective bedrooms with their vases.

"I doubt mom and dad would go for that, especially when he's four years older than me, not to mention, "she leaned closer to Eliza so she wouldn't be overheard, "the fact that you'd be all weird because he's your twin brother." The smile Eliza was giving her made Marie slightly apprehensive. "What are you smiling at?"

"You didn't say _you_ didn't want to." At the confused look Marie gave her, Eliza continued, "You came up with reasons why mom and dad wouldn't approve and why it would be weird for me, but you never denied you'd want to be with him, in fact the way you gave reasons so quickly make me think..." she paused as full realisation hit her, confirmed by the fact there was a definite blush now creeping across Marie's cheeks, "you fancy Jason!" Marie placed her hand against Eliza's mouth stopping her from saying anything else. They were still in that position when Mitchie and Caitlyn joined them on the sofas seconds later.

"What did we miss?" Caitlyn asked, taking in the position the sisters were in.

"Nothing," Marie responded, "absolutely nothing. Ew!" Marie pulled her hand away from her sister's mouth, wiping it against the sofa. "That was disgusting."

"Did you just lick her hand?" Mitchie asked the older girl who nodded. "Nice."

"Anyway Ri, you so do and there's no use denying it, I know you too well." Eliza said, sticking her tongue out at Marie, causing her to blush again.

"Ooh what? I want to know." Caitlyn said, interested by the sister's actions.

"Marie fancies Jason!" Eliza teased, then noticing the look in her sister's eyes she leapt off the sofa, narrowly avoiding her sister's slap. Squeals filled the room thanks to Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"I do not!" Marie huffed, jumping off the sofa and charging at her sister, a cushion flying through the air ahead of her.

"We thought Eliza and Jason would be cute, but you and him..." Caitlyn trailed off, letting another squeal loose. Marie sighed, giving up on attacking her sister.

"Whatever, believe her if you want, even though it's not true." She turned and started to walk towards her room, stopping suddenly and turning to face the others. "Don't you even think of saying anything to Nate" She warned Caitlyn, "Shane neither," she said turning her attention to Mitchie, "or at least, if you do, make sure they don't mention it to Jay, okay?" The others nodded and she left, shutting her bedroom door behind her.

"She's not actually mad is she?" Caitlyn asked, now worried she may have offended her friend.

"No, that's just how she gets when I accuse her of liking someone. She'll be fine tomorrow, she'll probably admit her feelings too." Eliza explained, knowing her sister too well.

"It's not like anything's going to happen between them though, is it? I mean she already has a boyfriend." Mitchie said.

"They broke up." Caitlyn responded, surprising Eliza. She was usually the first one her sister went to when anything big happened. To find out Caitlyn knew before her left Eliza unsure how to feel. She was glad her sister had found someone else she could trust and confide in, but it also made her worried they were going to grow apart.

"Oh. So we could meddle just a little bit? Mitchie hinted.

"Mitchie, you know what happens when you try to meddle." Eliza said, referring to their earlier conversation on the bus, leaving Caitlyn rather confused.

"I know, but come on. Jarie would be so cute!" Mitchie squealed.

"Jarie?" Eliza questioned.

"Yeah, Jason and Marie, like Brangelina or Smitchie" Caitlyn explained.

"Or Naitlyn." Mitchie finished. Eliza started to respond then stopped as she thought about what she had been going to say. She couldn't help but chuckle, earning her odd looks from the other two.

"I was about to say we don't need silly nicknames for our relationships, it's not like we're famous," She explained, "but then I realised we in fact are. I'm still not used to that fact. Jarie. I like it." She smiled. They huddled together, discussing what they would do with this information.

**_CR-CR-CR_**

"How you doing San Jose?" Shane yelled to the crowd gathered at the HP Pavilion the next night. It had been a long day full of sound checks, run throughs and meet and greets. Now Connect 3 were on stage, doing what they did best, giving their fans an amazing show.

Mitchie was stood backstage waiting for her cue. Tonight her nerves were getting to her more than usual. Shane had been acting weird around her all afternoon and she had no idea why. As she listened to the song before her duet come to an end she got into position. She saw Shane leave the stage, heading to the changing area for his quickest costume change of the show. Normally they would exchange a smile as Shane passed her, but this time he just ignored her. She couldn't help but wonder what she may have done to change his attitude towards her in such a short space of time. As she heard Nate's words, her nerves evaporated and her now famous smile spread across her face.

"You guys are an amazing audience, thank you so much for coming here tonight. Now, we've got a special performance for you tonight!" The audience squealed, many of them guessing what was coming, it had been mentioned in the reviews their opening LA shows had received as one of the best performances of the show. "I'm guessing many of you saw our YouTube video of her incredible performance at Camp Rock's final jam?" The audience screamed even louder in reaction. "You've already seen her once tonight. Please welcome back to the stage, Mitchie Torres!"

Nate and Jason moved to the sides of the stage as Mitchie appeared at the top of the stairs. They started to play the music to her song, making this duet now officially a Mitchie Torres featuring Connect 3 song (as it had been when they released the single which launched her career). Mitchie felt emotion rush through her as she started to sing the words which meant more to her now than they did the first time she performed them. Now this song wasn't just her showing Camp Rock what she was made of, she was proving to audience's night after night that she deserved to be on that stage, and her and Shane were showing them night after night just how much they cared for each other, just how true to lyrics were to them.

_I've always been the kind of girl_

_That hid my face_

_So afraid to tell the world_

_What I've got to say_

_But I have this dream_

_Bright inside of me_

_I'm gonna let it show _

_It's time_

_To let you know_

_To let you know_

_This is real, this me _

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

_Gonna let the light _

_Shine on me_

_Now I've found_

_Who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be _

_This is me. _

As she'd sat writing this in her cabin back at Camp Rock, she never would have imagined this would be the song to launch her career. A small part of her still wondered if she'd have been half as successful without Shane lending his voice to the song, and that small part made her feel as though some of the critics were right, in some ways she had used him to help her career. Not deliberately, but she had.

_Do you know what it's like_

_To feel so in the dark_

_To dream about a life_

_Where you're the shining star_

_Even though it seems_

_Like it's too far away_

_I have to believe in myself_

_It's the only way_

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

_Gonna let the light_

_Shine on me_

_Now I've found_

_Who I am _

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me. _

Seconds before Shane was due to start singing he rose up on the small lift at the end of the cat walk, causing the already ridiculously loud screams filling the stadium to increase even further in intensity. Now in a completely different outfit, this one very similar to what he was wearing that night at final jam, a black and white checked shirt, leather jacket and black skinny jeans, Shane took a few steps towards the girl he loved, the girl he had loved since that night they first performed together. As he sang his part of the song he meant the words as much as, if not more than, he did that first time.

_You're the voice I heard inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you_

_I gotta find you_

People had told them so many times just how perfectly their voices blended, it was as if they were destined to sing together. Though neither of them believed in fate or destiny, both knew that when they were there, on stage, singing together, everything felt perfect.

_This real, this me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

_Gonna let the light_

_Shine on me_

_Now I've found_

_Who I am_

_There no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be, yeah_

_This is me_

Mitchie had spent hours practising to make sure she could hold the note long enough to continue throughout the whole of Shane's section.

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_This is me, yeah_

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_Now I've found_

_Who I am_

_There no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me. _

As Nate and Jason strummed their final notes, Mitchie and Shane finished in their usual position, inches apart, his eyes staring into hers so intently it felt like he was staring into her soul. The passion in them was so strong it was almost electric. They remained there mere moments, yet it felt like hours and it took all of Mitchie's self control to stop herself from kissing him right there and then (an act the label had deemed unsuitable for their audience). But this time there was something different in Shane's eyes, something Mitchie couldn't quite read in amongst the usual emotions. Too soon Jason's voice cut in and Mitchie realised it was time for her to leave the stage. As she walked off she glanced back. Something strange was going on with Shane today and she didn't like it one bit.

**AN: There you go! What did you think? This is one of my personal favourite chapters. I really need your opinions on Jarie, is the age difference too much? Do you like the idea of them as a couple? Let me know so I can decide where to go with it (I have two different plans which depends upon your choice.) **

**Songs used: Rose Garden – Nick Jonas and This Is Me – Camp Rock.**


	18. Did you say 'bird house?

**AN: Here we go again! Hope everyone had a good weekend. Enjoy this chapter.**

As Eliza went to the girls' hotel room door she wondered who would be up this early, especially when they'd been allowed a lie in after how late last night's show had run. It was six am and Eliza had been up for the last thirty minutes. She didn't normally get up this early if it wasn't required but she couldn't get her mind to stop thinking about everything today reminded her of. She'd decided it was better to get up early and try to work on her new song, instead of lying in bed thinking everything over. She approached the door, unsure who to expect. When she pulled the door open she was greeted by the back of a curly haired head.

Jason looked pretty exhausted in the early morning light. Eliza assumed he wasn't one for early mornings either, especially when she realised he was still dressed in his pyjamas.

"Jase?" Eliza said, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her as a result of her lack of sleep.

"Oh good, you're up. I didn't wake you did I? I text you but you didn't reply so I thought I'd just take a chance on whether you were up or not." Jason rambled.

"It's six in the morning. What are you doing up so early?" Eliza asked, moving aside and allowing him into their suite.

"I didn't realise it was so early. Maybe I should listen to Shane when he says reading a clock is important." Jason had a dozy look on his face, realising he'd perhaps turned up too early. "I woke up a while ago and Shane and Nate were being boring and sleeping so I thought I'd come and see if you wanted to talk?" Jason did have a subject in mind, but he wasn't going to jump into it. He followed Eliza's example and took a seat on the sofa beside her. "Why are you up?"

"I couldn't sleep, got some stuff stuck in my head and I can't get it out." Eliza explained. She wasn't sure she really wanted to go into detail about what was on her mind.

"You should go see a doctor." Jason stated, a serious look on his face.

"Why?" Eliza asked, thoroughly confused.

"If you've something stuck in your head, a doctor might be able to get it out. If you leave it it'll make you ill." He responded, a note a concern in his tone. Eliza started to laugh, assuming he was joking, but stopped suddenly when she noticed how serious he seemed. She decided to change the subject to avoid the awkward moment.

"Was there something specific you wanted to talk about, or did you just fancy a random chat?" She asked. Jason shifted nervously in his seat.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you." Jason paused nervously, unsure how to phrase his question. Eliza gave his hand a small, reassuring, squeeze, hoping to persuade him to continue.

"You can ask me anything Jase, you know that." Eliza said.

"Oh right. Erm, well, it's just, Shane and Nate have been saying some things and it's got me thinking." He trailed off. He wasn't sure he wanted to ask her what he was about to, but he thought that if Shane and Nate were so insistent on it, maybe they were right.

Eliza was concerned, she had a sense where he was going with this and she was sure it would end up with Mitchie in quite a bit of trouble.

"Surely you've learnt by now that you should never listen to your brothers?" Eliza half joked, hoping to dissuade Jason from continuing to create a very uncomfortable situation. Jason laughed and then, in a sudden burst of confidence, he continued.

"They think there's something between me and you, you know something more than just our awesome friendship. So I was thinking..."

"Jason, stop." Eliza interrupted, not wanting him to continue any further. "I think I know what you're about to ask and I'm sorry but I don't want you to go there." At the sudden hurt look that crossed Jason's face Eliza felt her heart break. She couldn't do that to her brother. "It's not you, honestly, it's just _really_ complicated. I'm not looking for a relationship right now and I think we are better as friends." She was trying to make things better but as the words left her mouth, although they were true, she realised she'd just fed him every typical break up phrase there was.

"Yeah, okay, you're right." Jason sighed, not wanting to hear any more of the same excuses he'd been given time and time again. "Just thought I'd check, you know. Never mind. I'll let you get back to sleep." He stood and walked to the door. Guilt gripped Eliza as she rushed across the room, grabbing Jason's arm and stopping him from leaving.

"Jase, wait." A groan from Caitlyn's room, mixed with the sound of her alarm clock, which she'd clearly forgotten to turn off, alerted Eliza to the fact that they would soon be joined. "I want to explain everything, please, just not in front of the others." She tried to persuade him to give her a chance. He looked apprehensive.

"Okay," he sighed, giving in. He couldn't resist her pleading look, "tell you want, come hang out on mine and Shane's bus later when we're travelling, the other's will be in their lessons and I'm guessing you'd rather not spend another journey alone, we can talk then."

"I'd love to Jase, but I don't think the label will let us with the rules and all, we're meant to stay on our own buses unless we have lessons." Eliza really did want to spend the day travelling on the guys' bus, it was certain to be much more interesting than spending it alone on the girls' bus, but she knew Eric wouldn't agree, he didn't want to get on the wrong side of Paul and Denise, and Eliza didn't want to get on the wrong side of Eric.

"Don't worry about any of that, me and Shane have got it covered." Jason explained as Caitlyn's door creaked open. He took that as his queue to leave. "See you later." He said as he closed the door behind him, leaving Eliza wondering how she was going to explain it to him.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Alright, has everyone got everything?" Eric asked, not wanting to have to send someone back half way through the journey to pick up Shane's forgotten jacket or Nate's spare guitar, as he'd had to on previous tours.

"Sir yes sir!" Shane jokingly saluted their tour manager, earning a laugh from the rest of the group. Mitchie smiled over at him, glad to see he was in a better mood. He started to smile back then suddenly his face turned stony. Mitchie sighed, old Shane was back.

"Good. Nate, Mitchie, Marie, Caitlyn, you're with Miss Lane for this trip, bus three please." He said, going through the usual bus checks. The four of them filed onto the third bus behind Julie, ready for another few hours of studying.

"Eliza, sorry we're going to have to give you a whole bus to yourself again." Eric said, thinking she'd be pleased about this.

"Great," she said sarcastically, stepping forward. Jase put a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to whisper to her,

"Stay downstairs, you'll be on our bus soon enough." He winked at her as she got onto her bus, still highly doubting Jason and Shane's plan would work.

A few minutes later Eliza was quickly losing hope. Suddenly the door opened and Dean and Angela walked on.

"Hey Eliza, you ready?" Dean asked

"Ready for what?"

"To switch buses. Jason said you wanted to." He explained. Eliza nodded, surprised. "Cool, well come on." He indicated to her to follow him. As she passed Angela the driver stopped her.

"You're travelling on this bus for this journey." She winked, indicating she was in on the plan, showing Eliza she would keep it a secret that the girl had been smuggled off. "I'll see you in Oakland." Angela smiled and Eliza couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you." She said before following Dean outside.

"Just don't tell anyone we did this, 'kay? We could get in quite a bit of trouble for it." Dean warned her as he led her to the bus in front. The other vehicles had now disappeared, obviously already on their way.

"How'd they pull this off?" Eliza asked as Dean knocked on the door to the guys' bus. It swung open to reveal Jason, a very smug look on his face.

"I'll let him explain." Dean said as Eliza climbed on the bus. He high fived Jason before turning and walking back to the girls' bus.

Eliza looked around the bus with intrigue, trying to work out where the differences lay. This was the first time any of the girls had been on this bus.

"Hello, earth to Eliza." Jason joked, waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention. Shane sat in one of the armchairs sulking, in no better mood than he had been the night before. In fact, his mood had deteriorated since Jason had informed him that Eliza would be spending the journey with them. Shane and Eliza weren't exactly getting on too well. It wasn't that they argued or even really disliked each other, it was more that Shane didn't trust her and she couldn't be bothered to persuade him otherwise.

"So how'd you achieve this?" Eliza asked.

"We just got Dean to tell Eric he wanted to do some last minute checks on the two buses and suggest the others go ahead as we will only be minutes behind. Plus it helps that our driver is really scared of Dean after last year's incident and that your driver and Dean are as good as dating, so we know they will both keep their mouths shut." Jason explained proudly. Shane grumbled under his breath and whilst Eliza didn't catch everything he said, she picked up enough words to guess it had something to do with the fact that she was on the bus and not Mitchie.

"The other's are going to be pretty happy when they realise you've worked out a way around the rules without us getting in trouble." Eliza responded, hoping she'd maybe get Shane to be a little less grumpy. "So come on, show me around." She teasingly shoved Jason in the arm. Shane rolled his eyes at what he read as clearly flirty behaviour. As much as he'd spent time following Mitchie's instructions, trying to get Jason to ask Eliza out, he wasn't sure he wanted him to actually do so. He returned his attention back to the laptop in front of him, on which he was currently reading through the comments on the Connect 3 fan forum.

"I'm guessing most of it's the same as on yours'." He said, pointing as he named the areas. "Our rooms upstairs might be a little bigger because there's only three of us." He paused, trying to think of where differences may lie. "Has your soundproof room got a mini piano in it?" He asked. Eliza shook her head. "Oh, well there's a difference. Nate requested one this year, to write stuff on." He led her through the bus towards it.

"Don't forget your precious bird house." Shane yelled at them slightly sarcastically.

"Bird house?" Eliza asked, her eyes lighting up. Jason nodded, surprised at himself for forgetting it. He showed her to the window it was positioned outside of and pointed to it.

"I have loads at home that fans have made for me since I asked for them after Shane failed to make me one at Camp Rock. It means I get to see loads of birds and I didn't want to be unable to see any properly while on tour so I persuaded them to put one up out there." He was very proud of it. Eliza smiled.

"I have one in my garden which has a family of Robins living in it. I love them. I spend hours outside just watching the bird house sometimes, hoping to catch a glimpse of them. It drives Marie insane most of the time, I'm pretty sure." She explained.

"I didn't know you like birds!" Jason exclaimed, surprised to finally find someone who wouldn't groan when he talked about his none musical passion.

"I'm like, obsessed with them. I've read so many books on them and if there's a documentary on TV about them I just have to watch it." Eliza was quite surprised when, after making this revelation, Jason swept her up into a massive hug, a huge grin covering his face. He grabbed her arm and dragged her back to where Shane was.

"Shane, Shane, guess what!" He called.

"What?" Shane responded, a very uninterested look in his face. He could tell this wasn't something he was going to want to hear.

"Eliza likes birds too! Like me. Now I can talk to someone about them and they won't moan about it." Jason was literally jumping up in down in excitement.

"Great." Shane said, not meaning it at all. "Does this mean you'll stop talking to me about them finally?" Eliza was quite surprised by how mean Shane was being. She'd heard that he used to be the 'bad boy' of the pop world, but recently everyone had said he'd changed, gotten better. She was starting to wonder how bad he'd been if the way she'd seen him acting the last few days was better than his past.

"You can talk to me about birds whenever you want Jase." Eliza said, being truthful. To know she would have someone who would actually be interested when she told them about the latest Robin developments was quite a rarity to her.

"Oh well feel free to stay on here as long as you want." Shane said, his attention focused on the laptop, even though he was addressing Eliza. "Anything to stop him talking to me." Eliza was about to have a go at Shane when Jason, who realised the confrontation that was coming, grabbed her arm again and started once more leading her through the bus. "Come on, let's go to the back." They'd been travelling for fifteen minutes and the reason for her being on the bus in the first place had yet to be addressed.

"What is her problem?" Eliza heard Shane mutter as they walked away. He knew he was pushing people away, he'd seen the way Mitchie had looked at him the night before and hurt saddened she'd looked when he'd stopped smiling at her moments before. But he couldn't explain it to any of them, they wouldn't understand. He wanted Mitchie to know he loved her, but he wasn't sure he would be proving it if he followed his plan. He couldn't help but think that maybe he was going to screw everything up. He sighed, shutting the laptop and wandered upstairs, thinking that more sleep would help clear his head.

**AN: So there you go. Honest opinions, what do you think? Your reviews mean a lot to me. I'll try and get another chapter up in a few days if I feel people want it. **


	19. Truths and Revelations

**AN: Wow thank you guys for all the reviews for the last chapter! This one is later than I planned but I have another big project going on atm, I'll explain at the bottom. Enjoy! Warning: This chapter is a bit long.**

In the classroom bus the four other members of the group sat answering the chemistry worksheet in front of them. Miss Lane had discovered that all of them were struggling with this topic, so had decided to give them a joint lesson. She was currently allowing them to work through the questions, she would then mark their work to gain a better understanding of where they were and what needed to be covered. They had been allowed to talk, as long as they got it all done, which had resulted in Mitchie, Caitlyn and Nate holding a pretty animated debate about the best way to write a new song, with Mitchie claiming it was best to do the lyrics first, Caitlyn insisting you had to get the music right before you even thought of anything else, and Nate commenting that he didn't have a certain way of doing it, it depended on how he was inspired at the time, a comment which had not pleased the girls but had instead turned them against him for failing to solve their argument. Marie, meanwhile, had been working solidly, keeping very quiet and whilst Nate had at first thought it was because they were discussing something that didn't interest her, he soon realised there may be some other reason for the young girls silence when, as the conversation turned to who was better Kelly Clarkson or Jordin Sparks (a frequent topic of discussion between the girls), Marie hadn't joined in as usual but instead simply stated that she didn't know and returned to her work. With the conversation heading even further into girl world, Nate switched positions, taking a seat beside Marie, determined to find out what was wrong.

"Is everything alright?" He asked when she had finished writing an answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just a bit distracted that's all." She replied. She noticed the concerned look on her face and it made her smile. She barely knew him and yet there he was taking the time to make sure she was okay.

"Something on your mind?" He enquired, hoping to persuade her to talk to him. It wasn't that he was nosy; more that he got a sense that she needed someone to talk to.

"Kind of. I'm just worried about Liza, that's all, no real biggy." She shrugged, trying to show it wasn't important. She couldn't fully explain it but, although they'd known each other for only a couple of days, she trusted Nate. She felt that she could talk to him about anything. But what was on her mind at that moment wasn't really her issue to tell him, especially when Eliza hadn't spoken to him about it first.

"If you're feeling bad because she's stuck on the bus on her own again, I wouldn't. I heard Jason and Shane talking earlier and if everything went to plan she's currently sitting on our bus with them." He gave her a small smile, hoping this information would cheer her up.

"Oh, that's good. It wasn't that, but still, she'll be happy to not be alone for this journey." She turned her attention back to the questions in front of her and Nate was about to give up when she continued, "It's just, there's this thing that happened a while back and it sometimes really gets to Eliza and I could tell this morning she wasn't in a great mood and I can't help but worry about her, I mean, she's my sister, you know?" She wasn't going to give him detail, she just wanted to voice her worry.

"I'm here to talk if you ever want to, you know. About anything. Even if you can't tell me the details, cos it's not your place or whatever, that's fine. Just remember I'm here, okay?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a quick, reassuring side hug. She nodded. "In the mean time, can you help me with this question? I really don't get what I'm supposed to do." He showed her his work sheet, having noticed she was a few questions ahead. She went on to explain to him exactly what he needed to do. Science really wasn't Nate's strong point.

A short while later Miss Lane had permitted her four students to have a ten minute break before they moved onto their next subject. This bus didn't have much else, other than a tiny kitchen for snacks, as it was much smaller than the other two, so they were still sat around their work table.

"I didn't know you played piano?" Nate said. Their conversation had turned to music and Marie, who was now in a much better mood, had been explaining to the others that it wasn't only her sister who had some musical ability.

"I learnt a few years ago when I had a load of free time and nothing better to do. Piano just seemed like the best thing to learn, though I hated all the exams I had to take because of it." She explained.

"Do you play often?" Nate asked, taking a genuine interest. When they had been informed that Eliza's younger sister would be joining them on tour, he had worried that she would get bored, not having the obsession with music that Mitchie, Caitlyn, his brothers and he did.

"A bit, when I have time, and usually when no one else is around, I'll try and learn one of the current popular songs or something, though I often learn the chorus and leave the rest. I know a few of your songs actually." She explained, blushing as she gave the last piece of information. A wide grin spread across Nate's face, proud she had bothered to learn stuff he'd worked hard to write.

"You have to show us sometime." Caitlyn said, excited that there was possibly another musical superstar in the making whose music she could work on.

"Do you write your own stuff?" Mitchie asked. The blush on Marie's cheeks grew with all the attention she was gaining from this small fact of hers, though she should have expected it, she was surrounded by people for whom musical talent wasn't just an interest but a career.

"Nothing of my own really, I usually just played around with a few chords and such, though I have helped Eliza write some stuff for her songs." Though none of her friends back home knew it (she'd turned down Eliza's offer of a credit on the album), the piano part of one of her sister's most popular songs (not including the two singles) had been devised by her. Whenever Eliza sang 'Someone to fall back on' Marie felt amazing to know that was partly her own work, even though the record label had re-produced it quite a bit. The basic melody she'd come up with was still there.

"Wow, working with a top musician at the young age of sixteen, impressive." Nate joked. "Can Eliza not play then?" He asked

"No, she learnt guitar whilst I learnt piano. It was our agreement, I'd help her write stuff and she'd help me, then we wouldn't both need to play both instruments, though a part of me does wish I'd learnt guitar now."

"Maybe one of the boys can teach you?" Caitlyn suggested, sharing a wink with Mitchie, though not subtly enough as both Marie and Nate noticed but decided to ignore it.

"Yeah, I'm sure we could. I'm not the best teacher, I tend to get way too impatient, but Jason's really good, he's taught quite a few people over the years, even helped me back when I was first learning. I'm pretty certain he won't mind." Nate said, knowing his older brother loved sharing his skill with other people. He didn't realise that he was accidentally putting in motion Mitchie and Caitlyn's plan.

"You think so? I could always ask Eliza, though I doubt she'd be good at teaching either, she's so natural at it she doesn't understand when other people struggle with it." Marie said, quite excited that she'd get to learn how to play from someone she'd grown up idolising. She still couldn't quite believe how much her life had changed because of her sister and how different it could have been had the Grey's made a different decision.

"Jason would enjoy doing it, trust me." Nate said. Miss Lane walked over, disrupting their conversation, informing them it was time to get back to work.

_CR-CR-CR_

"So, I seem to remember promising you early this morning that I'd explain." Eliza said, taking a seat in the private booth as Jason pulled the door shut, making their conversation silent to the outside world.

"You don't have to you know, if I'm not your type of guy or whatever, its fine, really." Jason replied, taking a seat beside her. He wasn't sure he really wanted more of the 'why I'm not that into you' speech.

"I want to explain, you deserve it, it's just really complicated." Eliza said. She wasn't sure how to continue and Jason didn't know how to comfort her without making it seem like he was trying to persuade her to be with him and so they just sat still, in silence, as the bus trundled along. Eliza sighed, realising she had to be honest with him.

"I had this boyfriend, James." She started slowly. She wanted to talk, not just for Jason but for herself as well, if she spoke about it, she thought, maybe she wouldn't spend the day thinking about it. "We dated for almost two years and I _really_ fell for him, in a big way. I spent most of my free time with him, choosing him over my friends. It was stupid, but I was _so_ into him that I didn't care, and I lost most of my friends because of it." As Eliza continued Jason realised this conversation was not going how he expected at all. There was more to Eliza's past than he realised. "He's the only guy I've actually properly dated, which is kinda embarrassing. I guess because of that I took it all too seriously, you know? Thought things meant more than they actually did." She paused, not sure how to explain everything. She'd never told anyone the full story.

"So what happened?" Jason asked. He could tell Eliza was apprehensive about continuing, but his weird sense of knowing her better than he actually did made him pick up on the fact that she really wanted to tell someone. Eliza sighed.

"We were at a mutual friend's party, everyone was drinking loads and doing the things teens usually do at parties. James and I'd had a really good time and then we walked back to his. Because we'd been dating so long, and my parents trust me, they let me stay over his and his parent's were away that weekend so we had his place to ourselves. James had been drinking, though not that much. He wasn't drunk; I don't think he was even that tipsy to be honest. We were hanging out in his room, just chatting, hanging out as we usually did, kissing like most couples do, but then he tried to take things a bit further than I really wanted to. We'd done some other stuff before, but never anything properly serious. When we'd talked about having sex in the past I'd made it clear I didn't want to unless I was sure I was with someone I'd be with for the rest of my life. It's a bit like waiting until you're married, though for me I don't see the point in waiting until you're actually married, as long as you know the person is someone you will be with for a long time. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked, we were in his room and I told him to stop. He tried to persuade me we were serious, that we'd be together for a long time, that we'd been together for nearly two years and that should have been long enough for me, but I wasn't giving in like he expected me to. So he started to get really angry at me, yelling about how I don't care about him and just tease him and how I was being a bitch and all this other horrible stuff. So I got up and left, telling him we'd talk about it the next day when he'd calmed down. It was about four days until I spoke to him again. I was being a bit stubborn, waiting for him to get back in touch with me and then when I finally gave in and phoned him he didn't answer. Eventually he rang me and we agreed to meet up and talk things through, get 'us' back on track. We met up at this park that we had spent loads of time together in and he was all apologetic. I just assumed it was because of what happened after the party." Eliza took a breath, preparing herself to tell him the whole truth about what happened. It was something she struggled to think about, let alone say out loud. Just thinking about that fact she was about to tell Jason everything made tears form in her eyes.

"Turns out that wasn't why he was apologising. After I left his house that night he'd called this girl, Tess, who was a family friend of his. She'd been hanging around him quite a bit before that, constantly flirting with him and texting him, but I'd just ignored it, stupidly. Anyway, she'd gone over his that night and well, basically he'd cheated on me, doing with her what he knew he wouldn't achieve with me. All the times he'd not answered his phone when I called trying to sort things out, it wasn't because he was angry and deliberately ignoring me, but because he was busy with her, that after that one night he'd realised they'd had a lot more in common than he thought and he wanted to spend more time with her. That night wasn't the only time they did stuff either, apparently they did almost every day they hung out after that." By now she had tears dropping down her face as she remembered how much it had hurt when James had told her.

"James just sat there telling me all this, saying he wanted me to know the truth. When he'd finished explaining he took my hand and said, totally seriously, 'I'm sorry, but she and I are so much better together than you and I were ever going to be, so we're over, okay?" and he actually expected me to answer, to say 'yeah, you cheated on me after two years together, it's totally fine for us to break up so you can go be with her.' I didn't of course. I just got up and walked away, I couldn't say anything to him, I was just too shocked. Two years I wasted on him, just for him to throw it back in my face." As she finished the tears were falling fast and Eliza broke down. Jason wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, wanting to take all her pain away.

"He's not worth your time or your tears." He whispered. "I'm guessing all this happened not too long ago if it still gets to you this much?" It took a few minutes but eventually Eliza calmed down enough to respond.

"Ironically, it was exactly a year ago today that he broke it off. That's why I've been acting odd today, why I was up at a ridiculously early time this morning. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, even though it upset me to do so. I haven't dated anyone since and I doubt I will for a while. The whole thing made me wonder what the point is in spending years with someone, gradually falling in love with them, when all it's going to end in heart break. So for now, I just want to stay single." She explained, hoping he would take this as the reason why they couldn't date. It was the closest thing she could give to a truthful answer.

"I get it, don't worry." Jason gave her another hug, telling her she could talk to him any time she wanted. She hadn't expected to but Eliza felt relieved to know that there was someone else who knew everything, who she could talk to about it if ever she felt the need.

"I'm guessing no one but Marie knows about all that?" Jason said.

"Actually, you're the only one I've told the whole story to. I didn't tell Marie everything; it was always too hard to have to say it out loud. She knows we broke up but not why." Eliza explained.

"Are you ever going to tell her?" Jason had to admit he was surprised there was a secret between the two girls; they seemed so close that they'd never keep anything from one another.

"Probably not. It's not that important anymore and she is my little sister, she doesn't need to know everything about me." Eliza said. The two of them sat in the quiet booth for a few minutes in a comfortable silence. Jason was pleased that Eliza trusted him so much, that if he wasn't able to be her boyfriend, at least he still had a chance of becoming one of her best friends.

"Shall we go and annoy Shane?" Eliza jokingly asked.

"Might as well, it's a pretty fun past time." Jason agreed. They walked out of the bus and looked around, trying to find the middle Grey brother. Finding the ground floor of the bus to be empty Jason lead Eliza upstairs and cautiously opened the door the Shane's room, making sure it made no sound. There lay Shane, fast asleep. Tightly grasped in his hands sat a small, velvet box.

**AN: Yeah, I'm slightly evil. And I know this chapter is long but I just didn't want to stop it any sooner. To all of you who thought Eliza may actually tell Jason the family secret, sorry you've got a while to wait. As for my other project, which may make updates on here a bit slower, the World Cup is fast approaching and for it I have updated an electronic wall chart for 2010. It's free so if you're interested in a copy head to www world cup wall chart com (remove spaces and put . after www and before com) But despite that I will update faster if you review, so go on, you know you want to! Thanks for reading. **


	20. Take A Bow

**AN: I am so sorry this took ages, I have been insanely busily suddenly, I have a job and a funeral and a wall chart to cope with as well as this. It's nearly midnight here so I'll get on with it.**

Eliza and Jason's interruption of Shane's nap had lead to an interesting conversation, lasting the rest of the journey. Soon they arrived in Oakland, by which point Shane seemed to be in a slightly better mood, much to Eliza's relief.

Upon their arrival they were taken straight to the Oracle Arena as they were running late. As they all sat backstage waiting to be called for sound check Marie ventured into one of the extra rooms, on the phone to her parents. She hadn't phoned them back since they phoned Eliza (who had cut them off rather abruptly), and the rare downtime had given her the perfect opportunity to make up for it.

Eliza had been sent to the costume area after being informed that the decision had been made that under the lights her outfit hadn't looked as good as the production team had been hoping. It was her third change in costume since the start of the tour.

Jason had also left the room, in a search for food or at least someone to inform of their rumbling stomachs, leaving Mitchie with the perfect opportunity to put a halt to their earlier plans, as she had promised Eliza she would.

"You know what me and Caitlyn told you the other day about Eliza and Jason and how we needed your help with it?" Mitchie asked Nate and Shane, who were seated on the sofas alongside Caitlyn and herself. At a nodded response from them she continued, "Well, don't."

"Might be a bit late for that." Shane stated from his position opposite his girlfriend. He had shocked the others by not sitting beside her, a move very unlike the usual actions of the never separated couple. "When Eliza came on our bus earlier, she and Jason snuck off for a private chat in the booth and were there for so long I fell asleep!" He explained.

"You think he already asked her?" Caitlyn asked, casting a glance towards the room where Marie was currently located.

"Most likely, he had been getting rather annoyed at me and Nate constantly hinting, he probably asked her to get us to shut up." Shane said. None one noticed Mitchie trying desperately not to laugh.

"They haven't been acting any differently though, I guess it didn't go so well for our big bro." Nate reasoned.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it won't have." Mitchie responded, knowing her conclusion to be true, unless Eliza wanted a very dodgy relationship. Caitlyn nodded in agreement, assuming she knew what Mitchie did.

"Why do you say that?" Nate asked, surprised by Mitchie's certainty.

"Let's just say we may have gotten the wrong Austen." Caitlyn whispered. Though this wasn't Mitchie's reason, she pretended it was, grateful for a real excuse.

"No way." Shane said, glancing over his shoulder to the door which led to where Marie currently was. "She's way too young for him!"

"I thought you said 'love knows no age." Mitchie responded, quoting what he had said when the press and fans had made her question their age gap.

"I did," Shane said slowly, sensing he'd hit a nerve, "but there's a difference between our age difference of only a year and Marie and Jason's of nearly five." He defended.

"Look, age aside, I have a feeling it won't be as simple as just getting them together." Nate explained, trying to stop the argument he could see forming.

"What do you mean?" Caitlyn asked.

"I have a theory that there is someone else our Jason has a thing for." Nate said, but when they pushed him to explain further he refused, saying they'd have to wait and see.

"Come on Nate, you cannot say something like that and not tell us everything!" Caitlyn exclaimed, just as the door burst open.

"Food is here!" Jason called, wandering in. He noticed the awkward looks on everyone's faces; it was pretty obvious they'd been talking about him.

"Where?" Nate asked, his stomach rumbling rather loudly, causing the others to laugh.

"It's not actually here, but it will be." Jason explained. Shane glanced at the time, less than an hour until they started the show, and an odd look appeared on his face. He stood, crossing towards one of the connecting rooms.

"When it gets here make sure they have given us the good stuff, none of that cheap rubbish, 'kay? Oh and get some more water too, my throats a little parched." He stated, before disappearing into the room.

"What was that?" Caitlyn asked, stunned to see Shane's attitude change so suddenly. He was acting like he had the first day of camp.

"That was a classic Shane Grey diva moment." Nate explained, though he too was stunned at the sudden unexpected change in his brother.

"Think it's time I had a flour covered face conversation with him, otherwise the rest of this tour is going to be hell." Mitchie stated, confusing the other's who were unaware of her original confrontation with _the_ Shane Grey.

As Mitchie disappeared into one room, Marie returned from the other, her eyes slightly red, showing she'd clearly been crying. She took a seat next to Jason and without even thinking about it the oldest Grey wrapped his arm around the youngest Austen, causing eyebrows to rise between Nate and Caitlyn. They were all aware that she was feeling home sick but for Jason to be so naturally comforting was a surprise.

"Is Liza not back yet?" Marie asked, surprised the last minute costume meeting had taken longer than her phone call.

"I saw her on my way back from getting food, they wanted to get her on stage under the lights before the crowd is let in, see if her new outfit works." Jason explained.

"Did you ask your parent's about guitar lessons?" Nate asked after the group had sat in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Yeah, they said they wouldn't pay for me to have professional ones like I did with piano since I'm sixteen and should be able to pay for them myself, which I can't exactly afford." Though Nate had said Jason would be happy to teach her, Marie had insisted on asking her parents if they would pay for her to have some first, before asking the Connect 3 member.

"You want to learn guitar?" Jason asked, excited, a plan forming in his head.

"I think it would be cool to play it." Marie shrugged, not having any more reason than that.

"I could teach you." Jason suggested as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You don't really have time for that do you? I'll just save up, might take a while but I guess it'll be worth it."

"Ri Ri I have plenty of time, especially with all the time on the buses travelling and such. Plus I bet you could persuade Miss Lane to let you learn as part of your school course, you know get credits for it or something, so I'd just teach you during your lesson time." Jason said and as he saw the smile light up Marie's face he felt incredibly proud of himself for once.

"That would be amazing! Thank you so much Jay!" She threw her arms around him, the picture of happiness.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Okay, what is your problem?" Mitchie got straight to the point as she entered the room Shane had walked off to. He was currently stood with his back to her staring at one of the many photos of concerts which hung on the walls. It was clear this arena was proud of who had graced it's stage.

"Can't I just get a minute to myself without you having to come and find me?" He muttered, not meaning to sound as angry as he did.

"No, not when you're being so utterly pathetic." Mitchie was sick of him acting like he was better than everyone else and this time, she was going to be even more truthful about it. Something had to be done to stop him getting into moods like this.

"So what, because I used to be this bad boy who screwed everything up then I can no longer get at all stressed or grumpy otherwise I end up getting yelled at and hated by everyone? You don't always have to give your opinion Mitchie." Whilst the others though Shane had calmed down earlier, he himself knew it had just been the calm before the storm and he was about ready to blow, not caring who or what got hurt in the process, but as he turned round and saw the tears glistening in Mitchie's eyes the anger and worry drained from his body.

"Oh Mitch, I'm so sorry." He said, rushing to his girlfriend's side and engulfing her in a hug.

"I don't get it Shane. What's changed? Or more, what's changed you back? The label is letting you perform your own music, your brothers and you are actually getting on again, and all the stuff that you told me was causing you to act like that has gone, so what now?" Mitchie sighed. She loved the boy stood beside her, but she didn't know if she could cope with him when he had that attitude.

"I don't know, I just..." He sighed, not sure himself what had made him revert back to who he had been before the summer. "The tour and everything, we're just so busy and the label are telling me who I can and can't spend time with and every show we perform is a chance for the press to rip my music to shreds and I just don't know how to react other than like an absolute jerk and I'm sorry, okay? I'm just so sorry." For the first time in many years tears started to spill down Shane's cheeks, shocking Mitchie to the core.

"Hey, hey look at me." She lifted his chin so he was looking into her eyes. "It's okay. Everything is going to be alright. The crowds love your new music. Us girls, we stand backstage every night and see how they react. The reviews have all been good, so I don't know why you're worrying about the critics. And you say the label isn't letting you hang out with whoever you want, well what about tonight? What about back in San Jose? They may be saying we shouldn't hang out, but they're giving us a surprising amount of time together despite it. We might not be on the same buses for the journeys but that's only because I'm either trying to learn or sleeping, not because we aren't being allowed. Didn't Eliza get away with going on your bus today?" Shane nodded silently. "Exactly, so things aren't so bad." She wrapped her arms around him, staring straight into his eyes. "We're here to help Shane, we are all in this together and you have to learn to talk to us, all of us, when stuff stresses you out, not push us away. Otherwise you'll get sent off somewhere else next summer and I'm not sure I want you going off finding 'the girl with the rhythm' or whatever." She joked, trying to get him to cheer up a bit. He gave a small chuckle.

"No one will ever replace you; you'll always be my girl with the voice. The girls with the rhythm will just be my backup dancer." Shane said, placing a gentle peck on Mitchie's lips.

"Good. Come on; let's go show the others you aren't _the_ Shane Grey, just Shane." She grabbed his hand and started to lead him to the door but he didn't move, instead he pulled her back towards him.

"Mitch, wait. There's something I want to give you." He explained digging into one of the pockets of his jacket to retrieve the small box Jason and Eliza had discovered him holding earlier that day. As he opened his hand to reveal it, Mitchie's mouth dropped open. "It's not what you're thinking." He said quickly, trying to stop her instant thoughts of engagement and marriage. "We're way too young for all that. Love may know no age, but the press and our families do and I want us to wait until the right time. But until we reach a better age I want to give you this." His opened the box to reveal a very simple yet stunning ring made of white gold with beautiful iolite gemstones encased in it. Mitchie was shocked; she'd never seen such a gorgeous ring. Tears filled her eyes again, but this time from joy.

"Shane, it's amazing." She said in a shocked whisper.

"I promise Mitch, no matter what tries to come between us I will fight to stay with you. I love you so unbelievably much and one day I _will_ marry you." He stated as he slipped the ring onto the middle finger of her left hand. "So no one will jump to conclusions." he explained when she asked why that finger. A large smile lit her face as she stared down at the most amazing gift she had ever been given. "You and me Mitch, for the long run." Their eyes met, the love in their looks so powerful it could overcome anything else. Shane lent down, placing a gentle kiss on her lips before slowly increasing the passion until they were totally unaware of their surroundings, sharing the most heartfelt kiss either had ever experienced.

_CR-CR-CR_

At the end of her set Mitchie joined Marie and Caitlyn at the side of the stage, giving Eliza a brief hug as the older girl went to take her position. They decided to stay and watch, none of them yet having seen Eliza's full set in one go.

Marie usually watched her sister with pure pride but tonight she was nervous. Her sister had been different before going on stage, quieter, more distant. Marie knew what had happened a year ago, and from her sister's actions that day she could see it still had quite an impact. She held her breath in apprehension as Eliza introduced the second song of her set.

"I'm going to slow things down a bit now. How many of you have ever had your heart broken?" Eliza asked, getting an increase in screams in response. "It happens far too often. I want to dedicate this song to all of those people who've had someone cheat on them or break their heart, to everyone who's ever thought it won't get better. It does, not matter how long it takes, you can get past the pain eventually." She moved to her usual position centre stage as the lights changed, leaving the twenty year old in a single spot light.

"That was a different introduction." Caitlyn realised as the music started. The three girls stood amazed, watching what they would later remember as one of the most realistic performances they had ever seen.

Eliza slowly clapped her hands as the music started, encouraging the audience to join in. As she sang the words she thought of everything James had ever told her during those two years they'd been together and how low she felt that night last year when her heart had shattered into thousands of tiny pieces.

_Ooh, how bout a round of applause yeah_

_Standing ovation ooh oh yeah_

_Yeah yeah yeah yeah_

_You look so dumb right now_

_Standing outside my house_

_Trying to apologise _

_You're so ugly when you cry _

_Please just cut it out_

_And don't tell me your sorry cos your not_

_Baby when I know your only sorry you got caught_

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_But now it's time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

_That was quite a show_

_Very entertaining_

_But it's over now_

_Go on and take a bow ooh._

A few months later James had turned up at her door begging for her to take him back. By then she was starting to get a name for herself, with news spreading that she'd been given a record contract and she doubted the sincerity of his return. James told her that he'd been wrong about him and Tess, he'd been hurt the night Eliza walked out on him but that he realised he screwed everything up even worse. Eliza had been so tempted to take him back, to give him another chance but seeing him practically on his knees she realised he wasn't worth all the pain and sorrow. She'd told him she never wanted to see him again and shut the door, wanting to be able to finally just walk away from the whole situation. That was the last time she'd seen him and he'd been angry, to say the least.

_Grab your clothes and get gone_

_You better hurry up_

_Before the sprinklers come on_

_Talking bout _

_Girl I love you_

_You're the one_

_This just looks like a re-run_

_Please what else is on_

_And don't tell me your sorry cos your not_

_Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught_

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_But now it's time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

_That was quite a show_

_Very entertaining_

_But it's over now_

_Go on and take a bow _

She'd gone up to her room that night and started writing this song. She was sure she'd driven her family insane playing it over and over again to get it perfect. It was like therapy for her, getting the words out in a song made things all seem clearer, she could see past the hurt and anger and start to move on. This song had become one of the most popular on her album, with fans constantly telling her it was their favourite, that it spoke to them. As much as she hated James and the little blond cow who took him away from her, a small part of her had to thank him, he was good inspiration.

As she launched into the bridge she couldn't help it. Tears streaked down her eyes. She thought about all the times he told her he loved her, that they'd always be together. Every single thing he said now seemed like a lie. She stood there, in the spotlight, staring out across a sea of faces and wondered just how many of them had been hurt the way she had. All she hoped now was that somehow her song would help others through rough times as it had her.

_And the award for the best liar goes to you_

_For making me believe that you could be_

_Faithful to me _

_Let's hear your speech oh_

_How about a round of applause_

_Standing ovation_

_But you put on quite a show_

_Really had me going_

_Now it's time to go_

_Curtains finally closing_

_That was quite a show_

_Very entertaining_

_But it's over now_

_Go on and take a bow_

_But it's over now._

The song drew to a close and Eliza turned around, walking out of the spotlight. She wiped the tears from her eyes, guessing she probably looked rather panda-like by now. She should have gone for the waterproof mascara. As she stood there she promised herself that was the last time she would ever cry over him. He'd had enough of her tears; it was time to move on. She had a new life and new friends and a career that so many people would die for.

The stage was fully lit up once again and she turned to face her audience, deciding to make the rest of her performances that night her best ever. The papers the next night would talk about her on stage break down and ask if the pressure was too much. They'd print rumours of relationships and feuds but none of that would matter to her if the audience went away knowing they'd seen the best of her.

**AN: There you go, chapter 20! Thank you all for your support. That song has been so stuck in my head recently, I think it's really powerful, especially the bridge. I really do hope people liked this chapter; it's been the hardest to write so far. More as soon as I can, promise.**


	21. Trina Baines

**AN: Not many people liked the last chapter, hopefully you'll enjoy this one more. I'm skipping forward a bit.**

**Disclaimer: No I don't own anything; apart from the NJATA CD I bought this afternoon!**

Weeks went by and the tour moved on. The gang slowly came to realise that Eric and the rest of his team didn't really seem to care if they broke the rules too, as long as they did it subtly (and as the girls knew, not around Mr and Mrs Grey.) They were given numerous mornings and afternoons off so they could properly experience the places they were visiting, something which had been rare on previous tours.

The places they'd chosen to visit varied, they saw otters and seals at the Seattle Aquarium, visited the Telus World of Science (a particular favourite of Jason's) in Vancouver, went for a walk around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis and ate dinner in the 360 degree restaurant in the CN Tower (for which Marie had to be practically blindfolded to get up there, and then refused to sit in any seat where she could see how high she was.) whilst in Boston. Now they were sat in the guys' hotel room in New York, looking out over Central Park. The tour was halfway through and they were all wishing time would slow down.

"I can't believe it's been a month already." Caitlyn sighed as Nate wrapped his arms around her. It was early in the morning on their second of four days in New York (their longest stop) and they were waiting for a car to arrive to take them to their first of many appointments that day. "Soon we'll be back in LA getting on with our ordinary lives, well at least me and Marie will. It's going to be _so_ dull!" The youngest member of the group was not looking forward to things going back to how they had been pre-summer. She was pleased she'd gotten to go on this tour, but a small part of her had hoped that it may lead to a work opportunity, which hadn't yet happened and she was starting to doubt it ever would.

"Don't be ridiculous Cait, things are never going to be the same again." Mitchie said from her position at the next window along. She stared down at Central Park where they could see people wandering around in the early morning sunlight. "What are the chances that some of the people down there are coming to one of the shows we're doing?" She asked.

"Unlikely." Eliza responded. She was sat on one of the large windowsills a few feet away from Mitchie, notepad and pen in hand. She was trying to work out some lyrics to the song she had started to write back in San Jose, but was failing to get any inspiration. "There's millions of people in this city and I doubt even half of them are fans of ours or have enough money to afford the tickets. Plus, it's six in the morning which I doubt is a time most fans have ever seen, let alone gone for a walk at. Why would you go for a walk at six in the morning in Central Park anyway? The weather isn't even that good." She ranted, glancing at the slightly stormy sky, her frustration at the song getting the better of her.

"Woah, someone doesn't like early mornings" Jason teased from his place on the sofas. When they'd all gathered he'd claimed he'd seen Central Park enough times, that it wasn't that exciting a view, and had instead taken a seat with Marie, whose fear of heights was stopping her from looking out at the view from the penthouse suite. "Chill out Eliza. Some people feel that going out is better than staying in, even at six in the morning." He reasoned.

"Wait! Shush." Eliza commanded as she scribbled furiously on her notepad, the others watching her in confusion. Moments later she rested her pen again, a smile now gracing her face. "Jason, thank you." She said, pleased with what she had just written.

"Er, sure, anytime?" He replied, unsure what he'd done to deserve her thanks but glad to be getting it. There was a gentle knock at the door, resulting in seven voices yelling 'come in' in sync.

"Everyone ready? The car's downstairs." Tabitha informed them as she leaned into the room. They thanked her and gathered their needed belongings, heading down to the foyer and the large black limo waiting outside.

_CR-CR-CR_

As they pulled up outside the Good Day USA studio the girls were stunned at the number of people waiting outside for their arrival. This was the first time the five popstars would be appearing together on a television show and there had been a lot of publicity surrounding it.

They walked through the crowd posing for photos and signing autographs, with some people even asking Caitlyn and Marie for theirs, as squeals followed their every move. The entire time Nate and Shane never let go of their girlfriends' hands, both very aware the girls weren't used to this. Jason carefully wrapped his arm around Marie's waist, wanting to make sure the younger girl was protected as well, whilst Eliza walked ahead of the rest on her own, having rapidly grown used to the crowds in her short career.

_CR-CR-CR_

We've got some great guests for you today, so join us after this break to see how well Connect 3 have connected with their tour mates." Trina, the main presenter of Good Day USA, said with a falsely cheering smile.

"We're clear" the producer called when he was sure they'd successfully transferred to adverts.

"Do we really have to keep having these stupid teenage "stars" on the show?" Trina complained to the makeup artist who was currently powdering her face.

"Sorry we cause so much distress" Eliza said from her position side stage. The she and Marie had been being shown around the studio briefly and had appeared beside the stage at the wrong moment.

"Miss Austen, you know I didn't mean you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Trina said, embarrassed she had been overheard. She crossed the stage and shook hands with the two girls. "It's lovely to have you on the show." She said in a clearly false tone. Eliza just threw her a look which showed she was not convinced and they left, heading back to the dressing room.

"You should have warned me she was there you useless waste of space" Trina yelled at the makeup artist who apologised, terrified of the woman she was working with.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Why are all TV presenters such jerks?" Eliza asked as she walked back into the joint dressing room they had been allocated. Everyone was busy with their last minute preparations for the show.

"They have to be. If they're mean to us then they are more likely to trick us and find out gossip, meaning they'll get paid more." Jason explained as he tuned his guitar.

"We just have to do our best to avoid their worst questions." Shane said supportively, giving Eliza a pat on the back as he made his way to check his reflection. "Trina is awful, but avoid her traps and you'll be fine." Eliza smiled, thanking him. The others had noticed that over the last few weeks the weirdness between those two had eased, leaving them to slowly become friends, something they were all pleased about, even if they didn't understand the sudden change. Eliza had agreed to keep quiet about the fact she had beaten Shane by nearly 100 points on a rather competitive game of Guitar Hero as long as he gave her a chance to prove she wasn't so bad as a friend.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Our next guests have sold millions of records, faced adversity from the press, almost broken up and are now travelling around the country performing their 'new' sound to thousands of fans every night. We know you love them, please welcome Jason, Nate and Shane Grey, Connect 3!" The boys walked out oozing confidence as they waved at the cheering audience before taking their seats opposite Trina.

"So you guys are back on top form again after a slight blip." She started. The look in her eyes alerted the band that she was out to get any gossip she could, especially to do with Shane's attitude.

"Yeah, I got a little carried away with the fame and all for a while but everything's alright now. I had a great summer and met some amazing people and realise the way I was behaving was hurting not only myself but others around me." Shane responded.

"Well it's good you've come to realise that. You spent the summer at Camp Rock, where you were first discovered, right?" Shane nodded, "It must have been great to be surrounded on a daily basis by your fans, I bet girls were constantly chasing after you."

"For the first few weeks they were, I even hid in a bush to avoid them at one point, but eventually they all realised I was a normal person, just like them. It was a brilliant opportunity though, to go back to where it all started and see all this amazing new talent. It's definitely something I'd want to do again." Shane explained, trying to ignore the mild surprise on his brothers' faces. After having to be practically forced to attend Camp Rock the previous summer, Nate and Jason never in their wildest dreams imagined their brother would want to go there again.

"I'm sure the camp would want you back too." Trina continued to fire questions at them, about their new sound, when a new album could be expected and whether any of them had considered going solo during the disrupted time (something they all strongly denied, knowing the rumours that had already been going around.) Then, she moved to the topic of the band's love lives.

"So Jason, what's this we've all been hearing about a new girl in your life? Eliza Austen's younger sister Marie, if I'm not mistaken." From the side of the stage Marie's face turned bright red whilst the others were surprised this had been brought up. Marie and Jason had been photographed hanging out together at various places on the tour, though the websites and magazines making rumours of a relationship between them were always the lowest quality ones who no-one believed. Now, being confronted with the question of their relationship live on air, no-one was sure how Jason would respond.

"As people are aware, Marie is on the tour with us to help her sister out. We're all enjoying spending time together as a group and the two of us have become good friends over the last month. When you're in a situation where you're spending almost every day together in one way or another, close friendships are going to form very rapidly. Marie and I are best friends, but that's it. We like spending time together, but there's nothing more to it than that." Jason explained, unaware of how disappointed he had just made one sixteen year old. Noticing her sister's reaction to the older boy's comment, Eliza leant down and whispered in Marie's ear.

"He's on live TV, with one of the bitchiest entertainment reporters there is, he has to say that to avoid rumours, don't let it get to you." Marie understood and gave her sister a small smile. She knew her chances of anything more happening with Jason were very slim, especially with their age difference, but she liked to keep a little bit of hope.

"How is it sharing your tour with four girls, I'm guessing it's very different to last year? Trina asked Connect 3

"It's amazing, we're so lucky to have them with us, they're like family to us and to have them there every step of the way is an incredible opportunity for us. Plus, Eliza and Mitchie are making us work harder than ever, they're so talented and so we have to be our best to even have a chance of equalling their performances. Last year was a great experience, but I think we all agree this is the best tour we've done so far." Shane responded truthfully, with nods of agreement from his brothers.

"And Nate, what about your girlfriend, is she enjoying being on the tour even though she doesn't get to go out on stage?"

"She's loving it, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone smile as much as she has been. She may not be out on stage but she's getting amazing experience from it because her interests lie more in the backstage aspects of the shows." Nate responded, pleased that for once the interviewer was asking about his relationship, not just Shane's. He liked to be able to talk about his girl once in a while.

"Plus, we wouldn't have been able to finish working on our new songs without her help." Jason continued and though they couldn't see it, Caitlyn had the widest smile on her face hearing them talk about her in such a way.

"We're looking forward to hearing one of them later in the show." Trina turned to the camera and spoke directly to it, talking to the at home viewers. "We'll see you with that performance on the other side of this break." As the cameras turned off, the guys walked back to their girls and Trina headed over to talk to the producer.

"When you bring on Mitchie, you really need to press her, get her to let something slip. I do not believe her and Shane's relationship is squeaky clean." The producer said.

"Are you telling me how to do my job?" Trina asked in a snide voice. "I've been presenting this show for the last five years and you've been producing it for what, 6 months? Do you really think you have the right to tell me what to do?" The producer literally sank back in fear.

"No Miss Baines, of course not." He responded.

"Don't let it happen again." Trina returned to her seat. Another chair had been added, ready for the next guest. Connect 3 returned to their seats as the cameras start rolling once again.

"Welcome back. Connect 3 are still here with me and now, I'm very pleased to say, we have another guest here for you. She's part of the Connect 3 tour and dating the lead singer, Miss Mitchie Torres." The whole room failed with applause as Mitchie walked nervously on stage surprised by the reaction she was being given. She'd done interviews before but she still wasn't completely comfortable with it.

After some general opening chit chat Trina got straight into her main question topic.

"So Mitchie, as everyone's well aware you and Shane have been together for quite some time now, how is everything going?" She was pretending to be friendly, trying to get on the right side of the girl in front of her, a typical interviewer question.

"Everything is great, thanks. We have our issues just like any other couple does, but when everything's said and done we really care about each other so we make sure to work through any problems and we're stronger because of it." Mitchie answered.

"What sort of problems?" Trina pressed.

"Usual couple issues. No relationship is going to be without its fair share of disagreements but if you deal with them correctly things will work out." Mitchie said, not wanting to go into detail on live TV.

"You've been staying at the same hotels and travelling on buses together for weeks; do you really expect us to believe you're as innocent as you claim? I mean, you're dating Shane Grey after all." Trina was slowly turning on her nasty side. Shane was about to jump in but Mitchie stopped him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze to indicate she could handle it.

"We're actually staying in different hotel suites, with us girls staying on a separate floor to the guys. It's the same with the buses, we're kept quite separate. Between travelling, performing, working on new material and studying for my exams at the end of this year, Shane and I really haven't been able to spend much time together and when do we usually spend it with everyone else. We like having time to ourselves but we like hanging out with our friends as well. But no, I don't expect _you_ to believe we're as innocent as we claim, it's your job not to. We have our own views and we know what we want from our relationship at the moment. Our choices may not be what is expected of two teenagers but it's what we want." Mitchie explained. It was the one rumour that annoyed her the most and to get the chance to defend herself against it was a nice change. Shane smiled down at the girl he loved, amazed and proud of how confident she had been with her response. He took her hand in his, her ring glinting in the stage lights.

"That's a nice ring." Trina commented, suddenly noticing it. She was grasping at straws, this interview not going how she had expected.

Mitchie and Shane exchanged a look, agreeing silently they could talk about it, but before they could say anything Trina continued, having noticed the look herself.

"Oh, Shane bought it for you? That's so sweet. Although, aren't you two a little young to be getting married?" She assumed.

"It's not an engagement ring." Mitchie responded, almost laughing at the idea that they would be getting married so young. "It's a promise ring." An awe was heard from the studio audience, causing Mitchie to blush.

"I'm very serious about my relationship with Mitchie and the ring symbolises our commitment to each other. Maybe one day we'll take that next step, but not until we feel we're old enough to cope with it." Shane responded. Trina's smile, which moments before had been very hopeful, turned into a rather nasty frown. She wasn't getting anywhere with these two and it was starting to make her look like a joke. She didn't want to lose her reputation as one of the best (or worst, depending on the view you were looking at it from) interviewers in the industry.

"We'll isn't that grown up of you." She almost growled. She once again turned to the camera and signed off for the break. The second the cameras were off she stormed from the stage, furious. She return as Mitchie and Connect 3 were about to finish performing, the producer having decided to go straight to the performance after the commercials so he didn't have to disturb her.

"That was 'Before The Storm' by Connect 3 featuring Mitchie Torres. Now, I'm very excited about the next guest and I'm sure our studio audience are as well. She's taken the pop world by storm and is an incredible talent. Miss Eliza Austen." Trina had clearly calmed down, ready for her next, and hopefully more successful, victim. The interview ran pretty smoothly to begin with, but Trina had one last trick up her sleeve.

"Is it true you were nearly kicked off the tour before it even began?" Trina asked. Eliza turned pale, unsure how to respond. As she sat there, the stage lights burning down on her, the full attention of the audience, Trina and Connect 3 focussed on her, she didn't know what to do; she hadn't been prepared for this.

"There was a slight misunderstanding before our first performance, but it was quickly resolved and I'm so grateful, this tour has been one of the best times in my life." She told the truth, or at least some of it.

"Is it also true that the people who tried to get you kicked off the tour were none other than Connect 3's parents?" Trina asked, a broad grin on her face. She could tell she had found a secret from the looks on Nate, Shane and Jason's faces.

"As I said," Eliza responded calmly, "it was a misunderstanding and it's resolved now." She really wanted to stop this line of questioning, unsure how much Trina knew of the situation. The glint in her eyes worried Eliza.

"I take it the Grey's aren't too fond of you, which is quite surprising, given the circumstances." Eliza stared at Trina, terrified. "Shame that's all we have time for today. Thank you to my guests for joining us today. This is Trina Baines saying goodbye and good day USA.

**AN: There you go, sorry it took me so long. I promise I will update faster (if people still want updates?)**


	22. Guest Appearance

**AN: Thought I'd give you another chapter for the weekend. Really hope you like this one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Does anyone actually read this? If so put the word 'scones' in your review, it would make me happy.**

After the show had ended the gang rushed back to their dressing room to change. No words were uttered between them until they were safely back in their limo on the way to their next appointment

"What the hell was that?" Shane asked Eliza, what was sat a few seats away from him, still in shock. She didn't know how Trina knew all that information, but part of her suspected not everyone in the tour's crew was to be trusted. She didn't respond, unsure what to say. How could she tell them that the new rules were their parents' fault and that she'd known all along?

"Is it true?" Jason asked in a gentler tone, noticing the worried look on Eliza's face. She couldn't help herself, a few tears dripped down her cheeks and she nodded before she even realised what she was doing.

"Why would they do that?" Shane yelled.

"They didn't want me to distract you." Eliza explained quietly, using Eric's original explanation, throwing a cautionary glance at Marie and Mitchie hoping they'd pick up the hint to stay quiet.

"Wait. All these rules, it was them, not the label?" Jason asked as realisation finally hit him as it had his brothers.

"The label just said it was them so you guys wouldn't get angry at your parents." Caitlyn explained.

"You knew?" Nate exclaimed as another shock realisation hit him.

"I told them. Eric told me the truth, he said I deserved to know when it was me they attacked, but I wasn't supposed to tell the girls, just like he didn't tell you. But I did and I screwed up but we didn't think we should tell you, I mean they are your parents, we didn't want you hating them, it wouldn't be fair." Eliza tried to explain as best she could.

"I can't believe them. As if they haven't interfered enough already. When I see them next I'm..." Shane was interrupted by Nate's ringing phoned.

"It's Eric." Nate explained before answering.

"Hi Nate, I've got some exciting news. Can you put me on speaker?" Eric asked. Nate quickly obliged and with the click of a few buttons he opened the conversation to everyone.

"Is everyone there?" Eric asked. The chorus of 'yes's' he received was confirmation enough. "Okay. Firstly, great job everyone and well done Eliza. We aren't yet sure how Trine Baines got hold of that information but we are looking into it."

"Why didn't you tell us the truth?" Shane asked.

"We'll discuss it later Shane, after your performance tonight. I've got an update on the plan for today to give you: you're currently headed to Current Radio where you'll do a very brief interview and launch a competition for a fan to win tickets to your show tomorrow. Now for the exciting news and schedule change, I've just been on the phone to Miss Dupree who, as you are aware, won the Final Jam last summer and so gets to record with you. Turns out she is currently in New York and has the next two days free, so once you are done with this morning's appointments Connect 3 you are booked in to have some studio time with her for the rest of the afternoon. Girls, you are free to join them or have the afternoon to yourself, that's your choice. Also, I wanted to know what you thought of allowing Miss Dupree to make a guest appearance in tonight and tomorrow's shows. It would mean cutting out a few songs, but you could include your new single with her, creating a good publicity moment." The guys exchanged a few quick nods.

"That sounds like an excellent idea." Nate responded.

"Great, I'll put that in motion. I have to go. Good luck at the station. Roger will meet you at the studio later and I'll see you at the arena before the show." And with the Eric was gone.

So is she the one you were talking about, who shocked everyone with how good she was at final Jam?" Marie asked. They'd heard many stories about Camp Rock over the last few weeks.

"Yeah that's her. No one even knew her real name; we all just called her Peggy. I'm not even sure why." Caitlyn responded.

"It'll be so good to see her again." Mitchie said, "If you two want to go to the studio that is?" She continued, realising the others may not want to attend a studio recording just to see someone they'd never before met.

"It's cool, we've got time to go shopping tomorrow. Plus, it's not like it's the first time we've been to New York." Eliza responded, her sister nodding beside her.

_CR-CR-CR_

A few hours later they were all sat in the studio awaiting Peggy's arrival.

"Do we have a song sorted out already?" Nate asked, having suddenly realised that having something to record was quite an important part of a studio recording session.

"Not that I'm aware of. Last time we spoke about it all that was decided was that it would be acoustic to make recording quicker and easier." Shane remembered. They'd had one meeting on the last morning of Camp Rock and since then there hadn't been time to do anything else about it.

The doors swung open, gaining everyone's attention. There, stood in the doorway with her hair pulled back into its usual ponytail, stood Margaret Dupree, a look of both apprehension and excitement on her face.

"Peggy!" Mitchie and Caitlyn squealed in sync, running across the room and throwing their arms around her. She'd still not told them why she had two totally different names, though she had promised to tell them one day.

"Mitchie? Caitlyn? They didn't tell me you'd be here!" Peggy giggled, hugging her two friends tightly. As they pulled apart Peggy noticed the three guys stood beside her. She soon found herself in another hug, this time with Connect 3. "Good to see you again. Glad we finally got round to this." She joked.

"There are some other people we'd like you to meet. They'll be back in a few minutes." Jason explained as they all moved to the sofas they'd been sat at moments before. Eliza and Marie had gone off to explore the premises, trying to find some kind of food (a frequent excursion amongst this group.) As this had been a last minute arrangement none had been provided and after their long morning, everyone was starting to get rather hungry.

"We're just waiting for Roger to turn up then we can get started." Nate explained. Roger was their co-manager. He was very 'hands off' though and Connect 3 rarely heard from him directly which was why Eric had been the one to inform them of their change of plans. He also knew his way around a studio and so was in charge of recording all their songs.

"We need to decide what song we're going to record. I'm guessing you want to keep 'Who I Am' to yourself?" Nate continued.

"Yeah, I always thought when I wrote it that it would be a solo song, so I'd like to stick to that, if that's okay?" Peggy replied. Though she'd known the boys for a few months now, she still felt nervous around them, especially when it came to discussing songs. Before Camp Rock she'd been a massive Connect 3 fan (Jason was always her favourite). To now be sat in a recording studio alongside them was almost mind blowing for her.

"Do you have any other songs we could use?" Nate asked her. She thought for a moment, then an idea struck her.

"I don't but someone else in this room does." She said. Both Nate and Shane turned to Mitchie expectantly, missing the look Peggy gave Jason.

"It's not me; at least I don't think it is. All my stuff is solo at the moment." Mitchie responded once she noticed the looks she was being given.

"I meant Jason actually." Peggy explained. Nate and Shane spun around to stare at their older brother.

"You wrote a song?" Shane asked, shocked. At that moment, with their almost perfect timing, Eliza and Marie return, hands full of crisps and chocolate.

"We come baring provision." Marie called across the room. "Not the healthiest of food but it'll do for now." She then noticed the new girl sat opposite Jason.

"This is Margaret." Jason introduced, standing and walking over to Eliza and Marie, reliving them of their food supply. Peggy turned around and her mouth dropped open, stunned that she was now sat in the same room as not one, not two but five pop sensations.

"You're Eliza Austen!" She couldn't help herself. In the last few months she had become a massive fan of the twenty year old stood in front of her.

"Nice to meet you. This is my sister Marie." Eliza smiled. She crossed the room and shook hands with the girl stood in front of her staring, her younger sister following suit. When Peggy continued to stare at her Eliza continued, "I'm just like them, you can treat me like a normal person. Just because I'm famous doesn't mean you have to treat me as if I'm someone different, especially when, from what I hear, you'll soon be as successful as I am." Eliza said, trying to make Peggy feel more comfortable around her.

"Okay, I'll try and remember that." Peggy said nervously. "You can call me Peggy by the way." She explained. The three girls moved to join the rest of the group on the sofas.

"So what's this about you writing a song Jason?" Shane asked, returning to the earlier conversation.

"It's nothing, I was just messing around having a go. I sent it to Peggy to see what she though. It's nothing proper though, it would take a lot of work to make it recordable." He explained. He had never been the one to write their songs and was surprised that Peggy had even remembered it.

"Stop being so modest." Peggy said, joking slapping Jason's knee. Marie couldn't help the jealous that rose in her at the flirtatious action, but she hoped no one else saw. Jason wasn't hers and she knew he probably never would be, but that didn't stop her feeling the way she did. "It's really good and I think it would work as an acoustic song for a few different voices." Peggy praise.

"Can we hear it, see what we think?" Nate asked. Jason looked unsure but after taking in the encouraging look Peggy was giving him he relented. He picked up his guitar from its position beside him and played the song through once, singing the lyrics quietly. He'd never been too confident a singer, especially alongside his brothers, preferring to sing the backing lyrics rather than the main ones. As he drew the song to a close someone clapped, but not from the sofas. He turned to see Roger standing in the doorway, a pleased look on his face.

I hope that's the song we are here to record." He said, walking in and briefly greeting everyone.

"You think it's okay?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Definitely. Shall we get to work straight away?" Roger asked, taking a seat at the controls.

Together with Connect 3 Peggy spent the rest of the afternoon working on what was to become her first single. They organised the arrangement, who would play what instruments and who would sing what sections of the song. Mitchie and Marie sat watching and learning with Mitchie giving Peggy advice along the way. Caitlyn sat beside Roger, avidly watching everything he did and assisting as and when it was required, a huge smile on her face. This was what she had been waiting for, the chance to learn from professionals and prove what knowledge she had.

Eliza meanwhile was still sat on the sofas, notebook in hand taking the opportunity to continue to work on her new song. She remained there for most of the afternoon with a look of deep concentration. Hearing Jason's song had inspired her to write more lyrics. She didn't have much left to do on it, though she wanted to check with one of the guys (who were more experienced song writers than herself, and more successful) whether they thought it was any good. It wasn't that she doubted her song writing ability, more that this song meant more to her than any of the others she'd worked on and she wanted it to be perfect. As she continued to work on the chorus, the one part of the song she was struggling with the most, she felt someone take a seat beside her. She looked up to see Nate smiling back at her.

"What's got you so distracted?" He asked, glancing at her pad.

"I'm working on this song and I can't seem to get it quite right. The lyrics just aren't coming out how I want them too." Eliza explained. "I was wondering if one of you could maybe give it a listen and tell me what you think?" She said nervously. She always dreaded the first time someone else heard her songs and this time she worried more than usual that the meaning behind it would be too obvious. "I mean, if you don't have time that's fine, it's not finished yet, it's just you write really good songs so you know.." She trailed off having realised she'd started to blabber.

"Of course I will. In fact I wanted to ask a similar thing of you." Nate responded, explaining his reasoning for going over to her. "You remember what we were talking about in San Jose? How I always forgot lyrics I wrote when I was out and about?" Eliza thought for a moment and, remembering the conversation they'd had, nodded. "Can I show you something? Maybe you can show me your song then I show you mine?" Eliza glanced over at the recording booth. "They won't need me for a while don't worry, I checked." Nate explained, almost as if he was reading her thoughts.

He led her out of the room, grabbing his guitar on the way. They crossed the hall to another, smaller, empty studio. He took a seat and handed her his guitar. "You can play first if you want?" He suggested, intrigued by the fact that someone that he saw as an incredibly talented music writer was asking his advice. Eliza sat down opposite him, fingering the strings nervously before playing her song through once. Nate's expression changed from intrigued, to serious and ended on a look of pure admiration.

"Eliza that was... I don't even know how to describe it, it was great!" He exclaimed, seriously impressed by the song he had just heard.

"No it's not, there's so much to do and loads of bits I don't think are right. Please Nate, give me your honest opinion, not just the one you think I want to hear." Eliza responded in a very serious tone. She didn't want this song to be 'great' she wanted it to be right.

"You what my honest opinion? I really liked it but, if I'm being really honest, the chorus needs work. It feels like you haven't got the right inspiration for it yet. You know what I mean?" Eliza smiled and nodded as her secret brother said exactly what she had thought. "Give it time, the right lyrics will come to you, just don't force it or it will never sound right." Nate said, giving his full view.

"Thanks, I'll keep trying." She replied, taking a seat and handing him back that guitar. "Your turn." She said with a smile, a small amount of fan girl excitement getting the better of her at the thought of being able to be one of the first to hear a Nate Grey original. Nate stood and moved to where Eliza had been when she performed.

"I finished the song I was writing thanks to your advice about the phone. It was really helpful, though if anyone now steals my phone they'll have access to loads of previews of possible future songs, but whatever. I'd really like to know what you think, is that okay?" Eliza nodded.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Where are Nate and Liza?" Marie asked while everyone was taking a break. They hadn't noticed the two of them sneak off for their private performances.

"Probably off showing off to each other." Shane said. He'd heard Nate playing a new, totally different sounding song earlier in the hotel, one his brother had clearly been trying to keep a secret from him and Jason. It worried him. He and Nate were still slightly at odds with each other and Shane couldn't help but think that there was a chance his younger brother would one day soon decide that he wanted his own solo career, leaving Shane and Jason with no further career and in some ways if that happened, it would be Shane's fault. Shane tried to shake the thought out of his head as they returned to the recording booth to re-record his and Peggy's verse, but for some reason it was stuck, repeating over and over in his mind.

**AN: I am quite proud of this chapter if I'm honest. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Also, I'd like to know what you think about the Peggy/Jason/Marie thing (told you I had another relationship idea up my sleeve.) Where that goes depends on your thoughts!**


	23. Margaret Dupree

**AN: Yeah, I know, madness, I'm updating again! I finally have some free time!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or Rose Garden by NJATA**

Nate started to play. Eliza was mesmerized by the song. It was different to Connect 3's usual stuff and it really suited the youngest Grey.

_She was brought into this world_

_Out of a beautiful mistake_

_When her mom was just a girl_

_And her daddy didn't stay_

_She was working at aged nine_

_At the flower shop in town_

_Working hard just to survive_

_Cos life was throwing her around_

_In the rose garden_

_Where the rain is falling_

_And the thorns are sharpin'_

_The rose garden, yeah_

_Rose garden. _

_She was young but not naive_

_Always wise beyond her years_

_Hoping that no one would see_

_Every time she dried her tears_

_In the rose garden_

_Where the rain is falling_

_And the thorns are sharpin'_

_The rose garden, yeah_

_The rose_

_Don't let those petals fall_

_Don't let them fall on you_

_Don't let those petals fall_

_Don't let them fall on you._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Yeah in the rose garden_

_Where the rain is falling _

_And the thorns are sharpin'_

_The rose garden, yeah_

_In the rose garden_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Rose_

_Rose_

The song drew to a close and Nate turned to Eliza.

"So, what do you think?" He asked apprehensively. Eliza couldn't help it, she started to clap.

"Nate that was just." Eliza paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase her response.

"You can be totally honest with me, even if you completely hated it, I just want your opinion, no matter how bad you thought it was." Nate rambled on, nervous about her opinion.

"Nate, stop." Eliza said, "It was brilliant, you are seriously talented." She explained, "But..."

"There's always a 'but'." Nate joked.

"It's just, I don't think it suits Connect 3's sound. I know you're trying to change it, but maybe this song is a bit far away from what your fans expect, you know what I mean?" She really did love the song, though she wasn't sure it would get the recognition it deserved if Connect 3 released it.

"Yeah, I kinda realised that." Nate said, "I had an idea, but I'm not sure it would really work."

"Tell me." Eliza instructed, intrigued.

"Okay, so I was thinking I could record it, just me, but release it under a different name." He explained. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea, but it had come to him whilst he was writing the song and he thought it was worth a go. "I want to see if I can reach more people, not just the usual fans, you know?"

"You mean like, have an alter ego?" Eliza asked, loving the idea.

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe it's a stupid idea. I should just give the song to the label so someone else can use it." Nate sighed, misreading her reaction.

"No, don't you dare!" Eliza exclaimed. "Nate, you have to record it. An alter ego is a great idea, and it could be pretty fun. You'd need a cool name though." She said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I tried to come up with one but they weren't very original." Nate responded

"I'll help you, I'm sure between us we can come up with the perfect name." Eliza said. She wrapped her arms around Nate, giving him a gentle hug. She had to admit she was really impressed by his talent.

"Thanks. I guess we should be getting back. I believe I've got more singing to do." Nate said, standing and grabbing his guitar. He was about to leave when Eliza placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't told your brothers your plan have you?" She asked, sensing there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Not yet, they don't know about the song either, I'm not sure they'll be too happy about it."

"Come on Nate, they're your brothers, they'll support you, you know that." Eliza said, surprised he was worried about their reaction.

"I know Jason will, it's just Shane, I don't know, he's been way better recently but after how he was earlier in the year, I'm not sure anymore how he'll react to stuff, especially our music careers. It's not like I want to split the band up or anything, I love working and performing with my brothers, but I think that may be how Shane would take it." Nate explained. He'd not really talked to anyone about how Shane's behaviour had affected him. He'd told Caitlyn how it had affected their career, but not him personally. When they were young he and Shane had been really close, they would talk to each about anything. But as they grew up, they grew apart. That's what still really surprised him about Eliza and Marie. There was a bigger age difference between then than between him and Shane and yet they were still insanely close.

"You need to talk to him Nate. Things won't get better if you keep it all bottled inside." Eliza advised.

"But that's what I do." Nate responded, half jokingly. He wasn't one to express his feelings; it was why he'd gained a reputation as the serious one of the band.

"I was the same." Eliza said truthfully, gaining a surprised look from Nate. "When I was younger I would never talk about how I felt, I'd just ignore it and assume the feelings would go away. Me and Marie argued all the time because of it, she'd do something that would upset or annoy me but because I didn't tell her she wouldn't realise, so she wouldn't apologise and it would just annoy me even more until it got to the point where I'd just scream at her about it. Eventually I learnt that if I told her at the start how I was feeling, then we'd not get to that extreme point. We're way closer now than we ever used to be because we talk about everything." Eliza explained, hoping to persuade Nate to talk to his brother. Over the weeks they'd all been together Eliza had noticed that whilst Nate and Shane both got on really well with Jason (ignoring the typical sibling arguments), they didn't exactly get on with each other.

"I would never have guessed that. You two seem more like best friends than sisters you get on so well." Eliza smiled, she was very proud of the relationship she had with Marie.

"It took a while to get there." She explained before linking her arm with his. "Come on, they probably _are_ missing us now." She led him back to the recording room where the others sat, having a break.

"Where've you been?" Shane asked Nate as they walked in. "We've all been waiting for you so we can get this song done." He said. Shane was known to be rather impatient; he didn't like being kept waiting, even by his brothers.

"I was just showing Liza something, we weren't that long. We're here now."

"Yeah, now we're taking a break so you'll have to wait for us." Shane responded. Mitchie gently placed a hand on his arm, trying to get him to calm down. Everyone kept thinking the old Shane Grey had disappeared for good, but there were still moments where his attitude went too far.

"Whatever Shane, stop blaming me when I haven't done anything wrong." Nate said, taking a seat beside Caitlyn. It wasn't exactly what Eliza had meant about talking to Shane about how he felt, but it was a start.

Shane was shocked that his brother had spoken back to him. Normally Nate would sigh and ignore his comments and in an odd way Shane was glad that he was once again reacting to him. Shane had been gradually coming to realise that his bad boy phase had really pushed him away from his little brother and though it may take a while, he hoped he'd be able to have a good relationship with his brother again one day.

"Sorry bro, I just want to be sure we get this done in time to rehearse it before tonight's show." Shane apologised stunning everyone into silence.

_CR-CR-CR_

After recording was through the group went to Madison Square Gardens to prepare for their show. As Peggy's guest appearance had been decided on at the last minute they didn't have long to run through the numbers she'd be performing. Now, as they sat backstage before the show started, Peggy was getting nervous.

"How are you guys so calm?" She asked, looking around the room. Shane had his iPod in, his fingers quietly tapping out the beat of the song he was listening to. Nate and Caitlyn were sat in one corner focussing on something on Caitlyn's laptop, whilst Marie and Jason had taken over one of the sofas. Marie was cautiously holding Jason's guitar as he instructed her on which cords she needed to know to play "Play My Music". He'd been teaching her to play gradually over the last few weeks, surprised by how quickly she'd picked it up and they were now at a point where he would set her a song to learn every few days.

"You get used to it, trust me. My first show I was so nervous it was ridiculous but now it's just natural, and it will be to you too soon enough, I'm sure." Eliza explained, rather pleased she could pass on advice.

"You remember how nervous I was at final jam?" Mitchie asked. She and Eliza were sat beside the new member of their group in the centre of the room. "But now I don't really get nervous at all. By tomorrow night you'll be absolutely fine. Get past the first song and you'll suddenly realise it's all much easier than you expected." She explained.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Jase," Marie said, "I can't change from this," Marie strummed a chord, "to this," She strummed the next chord in the sequence, "that fast!" She kept trying to switch between them but repeatedly screwed it up. Jason placed his hand over hers, stopping her playing.

"You'll get it eventually. It takes practise." He explained encouragingly.

"Bet it didn't for you." She mumbled as she moved to play the chord sequence again.

"Ri Ri listen to me." Jason said, placing a hand under her chin and raising her head so she was looking him in the eyes. "I've been playing for most of my life, it's all second nature to me now but when I first started playing it took forever for me to learn how to move between certain chords. So you listen to me and believe me when I say you will be able to do this before you know it, it just takes practise." He looked down at her and they shared a smiled. When she was with Jason, Marie felt more confident than she had in a long time, something about his company just had that effect on her.

A knock on the door grabbed everyone's attention. Tabitha poked her head around the door.

"Mitchie, time to rock the stage." The young assistant informed her, before disappearing again. At that moment the entire group stood, slightly to Peggy's confusion, and headed to the side of the stage. They could hear the crowd chanting and as they lined up, creating an arch for Mitchie to run under as she made her way onto the stage (a start of show tradition they had developed over the last month) everyone had a sense that this show would be one of their best.

_CR-CR-CR_

Two hours later Peggy was stood backstage, fingering the chords to the songs she would be playing, as she waited to be introduced. As the other girls had told her, her nerves had almost completely vanished, replaced by adrenaline and excitement.

"Are you ready for a special guest?" Shane asked the crowd when the time came for Peggy's debut. "She's an amazing performer and one day soon she'll be a massive star, we're sure of it. Put your hands together for Miss Margaret Dupree!" The crowd screamed in excitement at this unexpected extra. Peggy walked on stage, taking her position in the spot light. As she sang "Here I Am" she was stunned to hear parts of the audience singing along. The song had been a huge YouTube hit (a video from the Final Jam was released and instantly became popular) but she never expected to hear other people singing her lyrics along with her. As the song drew to an end, and the crowds screams grew in intensity, Nate stepped forward.

"So do you guys want to hear a new song?" Nate asked. The crowd screamed even more. The lights changed to fill the entire stage and Peggy stepped back to stand between Nate and Jason. "This is 'On The Line'." As they started to play Jason was practically beaming. He glanced to the girl beside him and the look he and Peggy shared at that moment on the stage would lead to huge amounts of rumours among the press the next morning. The intensity, and what reporters would claim was 'love', they shared in that one glance was hard to miss and from backstage one young girl was filled with instant jealousy of the older girl she'd grown to see as a possible friend over the space of the day, though now she wasn't so sure.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Seriously though, I am so jealous that you get to do that almost every night!" The show had ended and the group were once more gathered together backstage reliving their performances whilst they waited to be told it was time to go back to the hotel.

"Well it may not be too long until you're doing it too." Jason said without thinking. Peggy's eyes grew wide in realisation of what he might have accidently let slip.

"Really Jason? What do you know that I don't?" She asked excitedly. Jason looked very uncomfortable, realising they he'd said something he shouldn't have. All eyes were on him waiting for his response.

"Nothing, I know nothing. I may have overheard something, but I probably misheard it." He said, trying to get out of the situation. A smile spread across most faces in the room, they could all guess what it was he'd overheard.

"You totally deserve a record contract." Caitlyn said enthusiastically, though there was a slight hint of jealousy in her voice. Yet another one of her friends was getting their dream career yet she wasn't and she didn't know why not. She'd been allowed on the tour, she'd been told after Final Jam that her production on 'This Is Me' was impressive and she'd worked really hard alongside Roger earlier that day, yet still she was getting nowhere.

"That would be amazing." Peggy sighed happily. That morning she'd woken up thinking it was just another normal day, now she was sat backstage at Madison Square Gardens having just performed to a sold out crowd, with a serious chance of a future in the music industry. It was the stuff dreams were made of.

"Right gang, time to head back to the hotel." Eric announced as he barged into the room. Everyone slowly gathered their stuff, the adrenaline they'd had left over from the show draining away leaving them very tired. "Miss Dupree, there is a car outside to take you to your home. Also it has been requested that you attend a meeting at 2pm tomorrow. Transport will be provided to the meeting and from it to sound check at 3. As for you lot," Eric explained, motioning to the group that had gathered around him, "You have the morning and part of the afternoon free tomorrow. Today has been a long day and I'm sure you want to make the most of your time in New York. Just make sure you're back here by three, alright?" The girls shared a look and the guys could almost see the dollar signs in their eyes.

"We are not spending the entire morning shopping." Shane stated as he followed Eric out to their buses, the others following behind.

"Why would you think we'd want to do such a thing?" Mitchie said, putting on her best innocent look.

"Because you're girls. All you think about is shopping." Shane responded. The group said goodbye to their friend and twenty minutes later they were all tucked up fast asleep in their beds, tired out from their long day.

**AN: There goes another chapter and to be honest I really struggled with this one. I'm trying to get a few better ones uploaded over the next few days. You're reviews inspire me to write (even with the sun outside) so if you've got time, please leave me one!**

**Also, for those of you who like odd extras, I'm going to upload both a tour schedule with all the locations plus a set list onto my profile. **


	24. Confrontation

**AN: I'm so sorry it's been nearly two weeks! I've been trying to get ahead a bit so there will be more chapters in less time. Hope you enjoy this one, it's rather long and quite drama filled to make up for the break. **

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned something as that would probably mean I could afford to live in America, sadly I don't, so I can't.**

"I'm just going to say this right now, I love New York!" Eliza said happily as they approached the Empire State Building. They'd been touristing all morning and this was their final stop before lunch.

"And New York clearly loves you." Jason responded. It was true, not only had the audience gone insane at the show the night before when Eliza had taken to it, but everywhere they'd gone that morning it was Eliza's fans who had approached them, asking for autographs.

"I'm still not sure I want to do this," Marie stated, her fear of heights kicking in as they stood at the foot of the 102 story building. The others had repeatedly reassured her it would be fine but as she looked up at the building in front of her, she wasn't so sure.

"Take a chance, you'll be fine." Shane said as they reached the door, being allowed to bypass the queue thanks to their celebrity status. Marie slowed down, terrified. Jason moved beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Tell you what Ri Ri, go up, I know you'll regret it if you don't try, but if you're really unhappy with it tell me and I'll come back down with you in an instant." He said supportively and eventually she agreed. He grabbed her hand as they followed the others into the elevator, giving it a reassuring squeeze as they reached the top floor. "You ready?" Marie nodded nervously. "You can do it, trust me." He whispered to her as he led her towards the centre of the room.

Peggy watched them walk away together, a hint of jealousy in her eyes. Though she'd never admitted it to anyone, since she had met Jason at Camp Rock she'd developed a rather large crush on him. What made it even more difficult was that over the last two days she had grown to be pretty good friends with Marie.

"Stop being jealous, they're just friends, just like you and he are." Nate said, noticing the look in Peggy's eyes. He knew Mitchie and Caitlyn had been trying to get Jason and Marie together but, after hearing him repeatedly mention Peggy the night before, Nate had suspicions about his brother's feelings.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Peggy said, though the blush creeping across her cheeks told Nate otherwise. The two of them stood watching as Jason slowly led Marie towards one of the windows. She cautiously stepped forward and stared out at the view.

"You're right, I _so_ don't regret this. It's amazing." Her eyes scanned the view around her as her nerves slowly faded away. "Hey look, you can see our hotel from here!" She squealed. Peggy and Nate wandered over to join them. Jason wrapped his free arm around Peggy unconsciously and Nate almost laughed as he saw the jealous look fade from Peggy's eyes and appear in Marie's.

"I've never been up here." Peggy admitted. Despite having lived in New York most of her life, Peggy had never really gotten around to doing all the touristy things.

"Well you got to do it with us, which is way cooler than doing it with anyone else." Jason stated matter of factly.

"It is indeed." Peggy agreed, wrapping her arms around him happily.

_CR- CR-CR_

"What's up with you today Shane?" Mitchie asked as she stood with her boyfriend, who hadn't seemed in the best mood all morning.

"Nothing. I'm just not exactly looking forward to tonight's show." He explained.

"Why not? It'll be amazing I'm sure, just like every other show." She said, trying to cheer him up.

"It's not the show itself, more what's going to happen before hand." He sighed. When Nate had told him the news earlier that morning Shane had been less than pleased, wishing they'd had a little more warning. "My parents have decided tonight's a good night to visit and since I'm already not exactly happy with them for you know, trying to force us to stay away from you and all, I have a feeling it won't be a happy visit." Shane felt Mitchie tense in his arms. Already well aware of his girlfriend's dislike of his parents he understood.

"It's just one night and then you'll have a few weeks completely free of them." She said reassuringly. Shane smiled down at her, amazed that no matter what she could always make him feel better.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Girls, we need to talk." Mitchie said. They were now sat under the shade of some trees in Central Park, having ditched the boys once Peggy left, claiming they needed some girl time. They'd finished the shopping they wanted to do and had arrived earlier than planned at their rendezvous point. "The Greys are coming to visit." The others groaned, not pleased with this news.

"When?" Caitlyn asked. Out of all of them it was clear she was dreading it the most.

"Tonight, according to Shane. I guess they're staying in the family home here and thought it would be a good idea to stop by. Why they can't just leave their sons to have their own lives, I do not know." Mitchie sighed, laying back and staying up at the sky. Eliza's brain started to plan. They had about a month before they arrived back in LA for the final show, the Greys were coming and she had both Mitchie and Marie for support. She smiled.

"Mitch. Our plan." Eliza stated, hoping her friend would understand what she was talking about. Mitchie sat up, staring at Eliza, excitement filling her eyes.

"Tonight?" Mitchie asked, to which Eliza nodded. "You so should! It would at least make this visit a bit more worthwhile."

"Do I even want to know?" Caitlyn whispered to Marie, confused by the half conversation occurring in front of her.

"Knowing those two, I highly doubt it." Marie commented.

"Do you think they'll agree to it?" Mitchie asked, ignoring the other two's comments.

"Maybe, if I say the right things, they might just decide to tell the truth." Eliza said, trying very hard not to say too much.

"My word, the girls actually beat us here." Shane commented, shocked, as the guys approached where the girls were sat.

"We'll discuss it later." Mitchie said before finding herself encased in her boyfriend's arms.

"Discuss what?" Shane said, intrigued.

"None of your business." Mitchie responded, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Where are all your bags?" Nate asked sitting down at Caitlyn's side, his arms going around her waist instinctively.

"There." Caitlyn said, pointing to the small pile in front of her. She laughed as she noticed the dubious looks the guys were giving them. "We decided to be sensible for once, a rarity I know."

"You're kidding right?" Shane asked, stunned. He had expected to be greeted with mountains of bags which he and his brothers would be forced to carry back. "You really only brought that." The girls nodded, laughing at how suspicious he was.

"Can we get ice cream?" Jason asked, not at all interested in how much the girls did or didn't buy. "I'm craving mint choc chip." He added.

_CR-CR-CR_

Shane was pacing around Connect 3's dressing room, clearly nervous about the impending visit. Paul and Denise were being allowed entrance to the backstage area before the show but as to their exact arrival time, no one was quite sure.

"I still can't believe they think they have the right to interfere with our friends as well as our careers. We're practically adults ourselves, we don't need them." Shane ranted as he tried to work out what he was going to say when he confronted his parent's about the rules. Nate had tried to talk him out of it but Shane was insisting that it needed to be done.

"They're just looking out for us." Nate reasoned, not looking forward to the argument that was sure to occur. Shane hadn't gotten on well with his parents for a long time; in fact their constant disagreements really hadn't helped Shane's temper earlier in the year. Nate knew that eventually there would be a fight between his parents and his brother which would leave neither party talking to the other for quite some time and he hoped that tonight would not be the time that happened.

"Your parents are here." A very frightened looking Tabitha informed them. "Shall I let them in?" She asked.

"Sure, thanks." Nate responded. "I'll go and get Jason." Jason had snuck off to Eliza's dressing room earlier, claiming he had to help Marie with some guitar chords, instructing his brothers to come find him when he was needed.

"You're going to leave me here to deal with mom and dad alone? Thanks a lot." Shane muttered as his brother slipped out the room. He sighed, flopping down onto one of the sofas.

Nate knocked on the door and waited for a response. When he got none he knocked again a little harder and slowly pushed it open, only to notice Marie and Jason leap apart looking very awkward. He looked at them oddly, wondering what he had just interrupted.

"Mom and dad are here." He stated. Jason stood and gave Marie a brief hug before rushing from the room, his brother following him. "Were you two alone in there?" Nate asked realising Eliza hadn't been in her own dressing room.

"Yeah, Eliza went to Mitchie's room to talk about something. So shock horror I was in a room alone with a girl." Jason snapped.

"Okay dude, chill. I was only asking. Anyone would think you guys were up to something you shouldn't have been." Nate joked. "You weren't were you?" He didn't see the nervous glance Jason gave him.

"No of course not Nate. We're just friends, she's really young, I'd never do that. It would be stupid. And she's Eliza's sister. Why would you even suggest something was going on between us? Just because every girl you've ever been friends with has eventually developed into some sort of love interest, doesn't mean it's the same with me. Marie and I are just friends, that's all we'll ever be, so don't even suggest it okay." Jason ranted. He hadn't noticed the door he had just gone through was still open, nor did he see the young girl stood in the doorway. Marie had been going to give Jason the jacket he left behind back but then she heard what he had to say. She pushed the door closed and slumped onto the sofa, a few tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She'd been kidding herself to think there was ever a chance of them having anything more.

_CR-CR-CR_

"You're looking thin, are you eating enough?" Denise asked as she inspected her middle son.

"I'm fine mom, we've been eating plenty." Shane responded. He really hoped his brothers would hurry up and get back, he didn't enjoy being alone with his parents.

"Where did you say your brothers are?" Paul asked disappointed that he had only been greeted by one of his sons.

"Nate went to find Jason who was helping out a friend who he's teaching to play guitar." Shane explained. "They should be back any minute." The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes, Paul growing gradually more impatient.

"This is not what I expect from you three. We warned you we were coming; do you not have the manners to make sure you're here when we arrive?" He ranted.

"We can't hang around just waiting for you to turn up! We have other things to do. And if you hadn't noticed, I _was_ here when you arrived, so don't go having a go at me!" Shane couldn't help it, somehow his father always managed to wind him up.

"Shane Adam Grey, don't you dare talk to your father like that! Apologise right now." His mother scolded him. He was about to respond, and not with an apology, when Nate and Jason decided to show up.

"Hey, you're here!" Jason said, giving his mom a hug.

"Yes and you two are late." Paul stated. After greetings had been exchanged they all moved to join Shane on the sofas.

"Sorry dad, being late was my fault. I'm helping a friend of ours learn guitar as part of her schooling while on tour and I lost track of time so Nate had to come get me." Jason explained.

"Who is this 'friend' who distracted you from being on time? I hope you're charging her for the lessons." Paul said, not impressed to hear Eric was allowing the rules to be broken.

"Just one of the people on tour with us. So what are you two doing here?" Nate asked, trying to change the subject.

"We wanted to come and support you." Denise explained. Shane scoffed in disbelief.

"Is something funny Shane?" Paul asked. His relationship with his middle son hadn't been good for a long time and they were both too stubborn to do anything to fix it. The rest of their family were constantly trying to stop fights from breaking out.

"How long are you staying for?" Jason asked in an attempt at distraction.

"You think you can just control our lives don't you?" Shane responded to Paul.

"Shane, don't, not now." Nate pleaded.

"Don't tell me what to do Nate!" Shane yelled, "You know you're just as sick of it as me."

"Shane, sweetie, whatever are you talking about?" Denise asked, though she already knew the answer.

"We know mom, did you really think we wouldn't find out." Shane asked, his anger growing.

"I'll assure you we don't know what you're talking about." Paul said, sure his son wouldn't challenge him.

"So what, you didn't tell Eric to make sure we didn't spend time with the girls?" Shane asked angrily. Normally Nate and Jason would, by this point, be doing anything they could to stop Shane but in all honesty they wanted to know their parents excuse for everything they'd found out in the interview yesterday.

"Shane..." Denise said in a tone Shane had come to learn she only used to stop him 'upsetting' his father. He stood, his anger reaching its limit.

"No mom, I want the truth. You claim to be here to support us but I just don't believe it any more. You've already tried to break me and Mitch up, and Nate and Caitlyn, you've told Eric to keep them away from us and, to top it all off, you tried to get one of the nicest people we've met in this industry kicked off the tour, before it even began, when you had absolutely no reason to. Why do you insist on trying to ruin our lives?" He yelled.

"How dare you." Paul screamed in anger, standing inches from his son. "How dare you speak to me in such a way, accuse me of such things?" Denise moved to her husband's side, placing a hand his arm to try and move him away from Shane.

"We were just looking out for all three of you." She explained.

"Stop looking out for us and just let us live our lives how _we_ want to. We're not little kids, so stop treating us like them just because you don't want to accept we don't depend on you anymore." Heads spun in shock as not Shane but Jason let those words slip. He'd not fully believed his parents would try to get Eliza (and as a result Marie as well) kicked off the tour, but hearing his mother's response, realisation of the truth had hit him. If they'd gotten their way Jason would never have known the two girls he now considered best friends, two people he felt, for once, fully understood him.

"How dare you be so ungrateful?" Paul fumed.

"Look, we know you want what's best for us." Nate started

"Do we?" Shane muttered.

"_But_" Nate continued, ignoring his brother's comment, "what's best for us is to be able to make out own choices and our own mistakes. That's all we ask, just give us that chance." Nate said, trying to calm the situation down.

"And for you to get rid of the pathetic rules you made." Shane added.

Paul shared a look with his wife, one which clearly showed he was not happy to allow his sons to tell him what to do, but said nothing.

"We'll talk to Eric. I think it's best if we go and take our seats now, you need to be getting ready I'm sure." Denise said, taking Paul by the hand and leading him out the room. As the door closed behind them Shane slumped onto the couch.

"I can't believe you did that!" Nate said. Shane turned to his brother, anger flowing through him but Nate continued, not even noticing his brother's reaction. "Finally! I just wish I could have had the courage to confront them." The anger drained from Shane when he realised Nate was actually praising him.

"Wait, you're happy I said all that?" Shane asked, confused.

"They think they can tell us what to do and we'll just accept it and I'm getting so sick of it." Nate said. Shane crossed the room and stood facing his brothers.

"So we'll stop letting them." He said, "From now we do what _we_ want, right?" A smile crept onto both his and Nate's faces.

"Weren't we doing that already?" Jason asked.

"Well, yeah, but we'll do it more." The three of them high-fived, glad to have finally taken a stand.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Mr and Mrs Grey?" Tabitha asked, trying to catch up with them as they strolled through the hallway, deep in conversation. They paused, turning to look at her. "I'm sorry to interrupt but Miss Austen asked to speak to you before the show." They reluctantly agreed to follow her to Eliza's dressing room.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Marie please, tell me what's up?" Eliza asked. She'd returned to her dressing room to find her sister in tears. She'd tried to get Marie to talk about whatever it was that was getting to her but had had no response.

"Eliza, I have the Greys for you." Tabitha informed her, leaning in the through the door.

"Thanks, just give me a minute." Tabitha retreated as Eliza turned her attention back to Marie. "Ri, I'm worried about you." Eliza said sadly. Marie turned to look at her sister.

"Honestly, I'm fine. Why don't you worry about yourself for once? Are you seriously going to confront them?" Marie asked.

"I have to, I know I'll regret it if I don't." Eliza explained. There was a knock at the door, the Greys were getting impatient. "Come in" she called. Paul and Denise entered, looking less than pleased. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."

"Was there something you wanted?" Paul asked rudely.

"Actually, there was." Eliza responded, her tone going suddenly very sharp. "I want the truth."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Paul said, not missing that this was the second time that day he'd said that.

"Oh I'm certain you do." Eliza said, taking a step closer to him in an attempt to appear threatening. She didn't normally act this way, she usually avoided confrontation, but she knew it was necessary this time.

"Excuse me?" Paul said, surprised by Eliza's bluntness.

"What? Surprised a child of yours is brave enough to stand up to you?" Eliza commented. She hadn't meant to insult her brothers, but it had the desired effect when both Denise and Paul's faces held identical looks of shock.

"You know." Denise gasped. Though she'd been worried Eliza would have been told the truth, she hadn't allowed herself to believe it until that moment.

"No thanks to you." Eliza said, thinking of what to say off the top of her head. "It's a rather big secret to keep from the people whose lives it affects, don't you think?" Eliza stated.

"You listen to me little girl." Paul said condescendingly.

"No," Eliza interrupted, "You listen to me." She said in a tone which scared Marie. "You have until the final show of the tour back in LA to tell your sons the truth or I'll be the one making sure they know, you understand?" She'd practised saying that with Mitchie to make sure it was threatening enough.

"Who do you think you are to threaten us?" Paul said, trying to hide the fact the he was quite intimidated by the twenty year old in front of him.

"Your sons are _my_ brothers and they deserve to know the truth. I'm the one _you_ didn't want, but I'm the one who got lucky, because you _aren't_ my parents." This was the most confident she had ever felt.

"How dare you speak to us like that? You may not be our daughter, but you will treat us with the respect we deserve." Paul yelled, his anger starting to get the better of him.

"Paul, dear, come on let's go, she isn't worth it." Denise said, trying to usher her husband out the door. Her one statement hurt Eliza more than everything else and she filled with anger.

"The respect you deserve, are you actually kidding me?"

"Liza, stop." Marie whispered to her sister. Eliza just ignored her, moving so she was stood inches away from Paul.

"You don't deserve any respect at all you piece of scum. You realise your sons are furious because you couldn't be bothered to give the people that mattered to them any respect? A piece of dirt deserves more respect than you." Eliza turned to walk away but couldn't resist saying one more thing.

"Thank God you gave me up because it's so clear you would have been one awful father." She saw Paul's hand clench into a fist and smirked, not even caring that he was on the brink of punching her.

"Paul, outside, now." Denise demanded, forcefully pulling him out the door, throwing a glare back at Eliza.

"By the end of the tour, or I'll take it into my own hands." Eliza reminded them before slamming the door behind them. She started to laugh, scaring Marie. That was not the reaction her sister had expected.

"What the hell were you thinking? He could have hit you!" Marie exclaimed, turning her sister to face her. She stopped when she noticed the tears running down Eliza's cheeks. "They're not worth it Liza. None of them are."

**AN: You like? I'd really like to hear what you think; it would distract me from my toothache! More really soon I promise. Oh and if you have twitter, add me: JenCW **


	25. Someone To Fall Back On

**AN: Yep another chapter in a short amount of time, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock or 'Someone To Fall Back On' by Aly Michalka **

The next morning the gang gathered on the girls' bus. After the show Eric had informed them that the 'label' had taken the decision to ease off on the rules slightly, meaning they were free to travel on whichever bus with whomever they wanted (and didn't have to hide it). Everyone but Marie was gathered in the seating area. The youngest Austen had gone straight to her room when they boarded, leaving the others confused.

"Does anyone know what's wrong with Marie?" Jason asked. Her mood hadn't improved during the course of the show nor when they returned to the hotel. Jason had tried to talk to her but she'd told him to leave her alone before slamming the door in his face.

"She won't tell me. I don't get it, she never normally acts like this." Eliza sighed. Nate gave her a sympathetic smile. After their talk the other day, he realised how much knowing something was wrong with Marie, but not what, would get to her.

"I tried to find out last night but all she would tell me is that she didn't want to talk about it, though she did say something about how people should be more careful what they say." Caitlyn was concerned about her close friend. She was so used to seeing Marie happy that to see her so upset was quite a shock.

"Maybe I should try talking to her again?" Jason suggested. He was pretty sure whatever was wrong was his fault. She'd been perfectly happy when he'd been with her before seeing his parents and she'd seemed more upset with him than anyone else.

"In all honesty Jase, I think that would be a bad idea. She just needs some time to calm down. Trust me by the time tonight's show starts, she'll be fine." Eliza said confidently.

_CR-CR-CR_

A few hours later they'd arrived at the Wachovia Centre in Philadelphia. Upon arrival Marie had once again walked off, shutting herself away in Eliza's dressing room and refusing to come out. Whilst everyone was concerned about her, they were getting rapidly bored of her attitude. Eliza wanted to confront her sister but she didn't have time. As they pulled up at the stadium she and Mitchie were forced to do a last minute interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Now, as the interview was drawing to a close nearly an hour later, the two girls were growing bored.

"Okay, favourite show so far?" the reporter asked. She was clearly running out of interesting questions.

"For me it's got to be Vancouver. The crowd there were so enthusiastic and I think it's when everything finally hit me, I really am living my dream." Eliza responded.

"How about you Mitchie?"

"Personally I really enjoyed Poughkeepsie, though I'm looking forward to heading to my hometown in a few weeks." Mitchie said as Tabitha knocked on the door and entered quietly.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt but the girls need to get ready for sound check." She explained.

"That's fine. I think I have all I need. It was a pleasure meeting you girls." The reporter said.

"Likewise." Eliza and Mitchie shook her hand before following Tabitha out of the room.

"Mitchie, Eric wants you on the stage now; apparently we're running late already." Tabitha explained, "And Eliza, you've got some visitors in your dressing room." The girls thanked her and went their separate ways.

Eliza was confused about who would be waiting in her dressing room. No one had said they were coming to visit at this show. She pushed the door open and there, sat on the sofa's talking to Marie were Frank and Sandra Austen. Eliza squealed and ran across the room, throwing her arms around her mother.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised, as she moved to hug her father. She didn't notice the 'we'll talk about this later' look her father gave Marie.

"We thought we'd come and stay with your grandparents and take the chance to see you all perform." Frank explained as Eliza sat beside him.

"You should have told me! How did you get tickets? I thought this show was sold out?"

"It was but we managed to persuade Eric to squeeze us in." Sandra explained. Their family had never been apart for so long but they easily fell back into conversation.

"You need to meet the others!" Eliza suddenly exclaimed having realised her parents had never met the people she now thought of as her best friends.

"Do we have time? You don't need to be getting ready or anything?" Frank asked, glancing at his watch, not wanting to disrupt his daughter's pre-show routine.

"They'll probably need me at sound check soon but they'll come get me if so, it's fine." Eliza explained. She led them to the guys dressing room, forcing Marie to come along ("In case I have to go, don't want to leave mom and dad alone with people they don't know" she reasoned.) She was about to knock when Mitchie arrived at her side.

"Liza, they need you on stage and I'd go quickly if I were you, Eric's not in the best of moods." Eliza nodded in understanding, when Eric was in a bad mood it was not a good idea to be late.

"Ri, can you introduce mom and dad to everyone?" Eliza asked, then turned to her parents, "I won't be long, I promise." She rushed off missing the unhappy look Marie gave her. She sighed, following Mitchie into the room.

_CR-CR-CR_

Fifteen minutes later Eliza was back and had sent the boys on their way for their own sound check.

"They seem like lovely boys." Sandra responded when Eliza asked what they thought of the Greys.

"It's odd how similar they are to you." Frank continued.

"Er, dad." Eliza started, trying to stop her dad from saying anything else whilst Caitlyn was still in the room.

"I know that's a dumb comment, I mean with you being related to them and all it's not a surprise but..." He stopped suddenly when he heard a gasp come from behind him. He turned to see a shocked and confused looking Caitlyn staring at him.

"Only Mitchie knew dad." Marie stated.

"I am so sorry." Frank apologised to his older daughter. After warning her numerous times about being careful what she said and who she said it in front of, he'd managed to screw up in less than an hour.

"I can pretend I didn't hear that, if you'd rather?" Caitlyn said, realising she'd overheard something she wasn't supposed to.

"No, it's fine, don't worry." Eliza said. In a way she was relieved that all the girls now knew, it would make it much easier if she ever wanted to discuss it on long bus journeys.

"It's not like it's going to be a secret much longer, not after last night." Marie commented in a harsh tone. Eliza glared at her sister. She'd told Marie not to let her parents know about her confrontation with Paul and Denise. She knew she wasn't in a good mood, but Eliza was surprised Marie had blurted that out so deliberately.

"What happened last night?" Sandra asked, concerned.

"Nothing, it's not important." Eliza said, though she was sure her parents wouldn't drop it so easily.

"Eliza Amanda Austen."Frank said, knowing the use of her full name would make his adopted daughter cave, "You tell us right now what you did." He demanded.

"Why must you treat me like a five year old?" Eliza sighed, annoyed her dad had used her middle name. "If you must know, I spoke to Mr and Mrs Grey about our 'situation'. I know it's their right to choose when to tell the guys the truth and decide how they tell them, but it's the guys and my right for them to know. All I did was mildly threaten them to try and persuade them to tell the truth before the tour ends." Eliza explained.

"Mildly threatened?" Marie scoffed. "Yeah, it was so _mild_ it nearly landed you with a black eye." Although Eliza was glad her sister felt like talking again, she really wished she would shut up.

"It wasn't that bad." Eliza said, trying to calm her parents down. "Anyway, back to what we were talking about," She turned to Caitlyn, "I don't mind that you know, I wanted to tell you but it's meant to be a secret. Just promise you won't mention it to the guys, otherwise I could be in quite big trouble." She explained.

"No worried, I'll keep quite. I wouldn't know what to tell them anyway, I'm pretty confused." Caitlyn responded.

"Eliza's adopted, she's not really my sister. Nate, Shane and Jason are her brothers but they have no clue as Paul and Denise decided that she wasn't worth telling them about. Not that confusing really." There was a stunned silence after Marie finished her blunt explanation. A gradual smile crept across Caitlyn's face as it fully dawned on her what Marie had just said. Eliza, on the other hand, exploded with anger.

"Marie what the hell is your problem? I get that you're upset, though what about I have no bloody clue, but you have no right to act like that towards me when I've done nothing wrong. I know you're supposed to be my _younger_ sister but I thought you were a bit more mature than that." Eliza yelled. This is why she and Marie always discussed everything; otherwise one of them went too far. Marie stood, a mixture of hurt, guilt and genuine sadness in her expression.

"It's a good thing I'm not actually your younger sister, isn't it. I'm going back your dressing room, please, just leave me alone." With that she left the room. Guilt gripped Eliza. She hated it when she hurt Marie. Their parents stood, giving Eliza a disappointed look.

"We're going to see if she's alright. The show starts soon so I guess we'll see you afterwards." Sandra said. She understood that it was usual for sisters to fight but she wished they wouldn't always use their fake relationship to fuel the fire.

"I'll apologise later, I promise." Eliza said, hugging her parents. She knew she was in the wrong but she also knew Marie would need time to cool down.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Is everyone enjoying the show tonight?" Cheers filled the stadium in response to Eliza's question. "I want to dedicate this next song to the person who helped me write it. We may fight but no matter what, I'm always here for you." The piano chords that Marie had written started to play. Eliza hoped her sister was listening backstage.

_I'll never be_

_A knight in armour with a_

_Sword in hand_

_Or a kamikaze fighter_

_Don't count on me_

_To storm the barricades and_

_Take a stand_

_Or hold my ground_

_You'll never see any scars or wounds_

_I don't walk on coals_

_I won't walk on water_

This was the first song they'd worked on together. Sure, the label had changed the production of it after the first verse and chorus, but she'd fought to keep the start as Marie suggested, simple. As she sang the song she meant every word, especially the chorus.

_I am no prince_

_I am no saint_

_I am not anyone's wildest dream_

_But I will stand_

_Behind and be_

_Someone to fall back on_

People asked her so often why she wrote this song from a male perspective. In truth, it had just felt right. They'd grown up reading fairytales with male protagonists and it was something they'd always talked about, why was it that men always saved the day, especially when a few times men had really hurt the Austen sisters. Eliza had wanted to comment on this stereotype and had chosen to do so by writing it as a guy, even though the song was always going to be hers.

_Some comedy_

_You're bruised and beaten down_

_And I'm the one_

_Who's looking for a favour._

_Still honestly,_

_You don't believe me but_

_The things I have _

_Are the things you need_

_You look at me like I don't make sense_

_Like a waste of time_

_Like it serves no purpose_

_I am no prince_

_I am no saint_

_And if that's what you believe you need_

_You're wrong_

_You don't need much_

_You need someone to fall back on._

It didn't matter that her and Marie were fighting. Whatever was wrong with Marie, Eliza knew she would be there for her sister when she was ready to let her in. She'd wanted to talk to Marie before going on stage, but there wasn't time. The minute her set ended, she was going to be in her room, apologising.

_And I'll be that_

_I'll take your side_

_If I'm the only one I'm used to that_

_I've been alone_

_I'd rather be_

_The half of us_

_The least of you_

_The best of me_

Every time she sang the bridge, she thought about how lucky she was to have not only Marie in her life, but her parents as well. She couldn't imagine life without them, and she was glad she hadn't had to experience it. Eliza always wanted to be part of their family, even if the truth eventually came out; she'd always stay Eliza _Austen_.

_And I will be_

_I'll be your prince_

_I'll be your saint_

_I will go crashing through fences_

_In your name_

_I will I swear_

_I'll be someone to fall back on_

_I'll be the one who waits_

_And for as long as you let me_

_I will be _

_The one you need_

_I'll be someone to fall back on_

_Someone to fall back on_

_One to fall back one_

"Always Marie." She whispered before continuing onto her next song.

_CR-CR-CR_

The show was over, Eliza and Marie had both apologised and their parents had left, promising to return early in the morning before they left for their next destination.

"Eliza." Caitlyn called, trying to attract her attention as she headed back to her dressing room to gather her stuff. Caitlyn had been trying to find a private moment to talk to Eliza all night, not having a chance until now.

"Everything alright Cait?" Eliza asked, turning to face her.

"Can I talk to you? In private?" She motioned to Mitchie's dressing room which they were stood beside. With Marie still locking herself away in Eliza's and Mitchie hanging out in the guys, they knew it would be empty. Eliza followed Caitlyn and took a seat, assuming this talk would be about the earlier revelation.

"I need to talk to you about Marie." Caitlyn stated.

"What's she done now?" Eliza sighed, suspecting that Marie had started another argument with someone.

"She hasn't done anything, at least not yet. I overheard her talking to your parents earlier." Caitlyn paused. She wasn't sure she should really tell Eliza this when she herself hadn't been meant to hear, but at the same time she wanted to stop Marie and she thought Eliza was the only one who could achieve that.

"What did she say?" Eliza asked, hoping she was about to find out what was wrong with Marie.

"She asked your parents to take her home. She said she doesn't think she wants to be on the tour anymore."

**AN: Yep, short and a cliff hanger. Next chapter will be up in a day or two I promise. Let me know what you thought.**


	26. I'm All Alone

**AN: I decided to split the last chapter in two, but it does mean you get faster updates. This is one of my favourite chapters I've written so far.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own CR or 'Need You Now' (Lady Antebellum – amazing. Fact.)**

"What?" Eliza said quietly, suddenly feeling deeply upset. She didn't want Marie to leave, she wanted her best friend with her every step of the way. She thought Marie loved being there, so she knew whatever was upsetting her must be bad.

"Your parents said they weren't leaving til the morning so she could think about it before making a final decision, but she seemed pretty set on it." Caitlyn explained.

"You mind if I go talk to her?" Eliza asked, not wanting to just leave if Caitlyn wanted to talk more.

"Course not. I think she just needs her sister." Caitlyn gave Eliza a small smile. She could tell how much Marie meant to her, even if they weren't really related.

_CR-CR-CR_

"There you are Caitlyn!" Eric exclaimed in relief. "Do you know where the Austen's are? The transports here and I want to get you back to the hotel at a reasonable time." They were leaving fairly early in the morning and he wanted his artists to get plenty of rest.

"They're just talking in Eliza's room. Can we wait a few minutes, they really need this talk."

Eric looked hesitant but he eventually nodded, telling them he'd be back in fifteen minutes to get them. The moment he was gone everyone turned to Caitlyn.

"What's going on?" Jason asked, concerned. He'd heard about the sister's fight earlier and really hoped they were resolving it.

"It's complicated, they just need to talk and then everything will be okay." Caitlyn said, hoping she was right.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Do you really want to leave?" Eliza asked. They'd been talking for a while and were getting nowhere. Eliza didn't know how to persuade her not to go. Marie sighed and turned to look at her.

"No, but I think it's for the best." She explained sadly.

"Ri, just tell me what's wrong. Then we can sort it out and you can stay. Please." Eliza was practically begging. She hated this situation.

"Nothing's wrong, no one's done anything, I'm sure being stupid!" Marie stated. She didn't want to tell Eliza what this was all about, she knew she'd just get annoyed and call her immature again.

"Hey, listen to me." Eliza said, sitting on the floor in front of her, taking Marie's hands in her own. "You're my sister, but more than that you're my _best_ friend. I would never think anything that upsets you this much is stupid." Marie looked down at her sister, trying to decide whether to tell her or not. She sighed, they'd learnt over the years that talking was better than holding it in.

As Marie told Eliza what she'd heard Jason say and how she was ridiculous for ever thinking he'd care about her as more than a friend, Eliza felt her heart ache for the young girl. She moved to sit beside her, wrapping her arms tightly around Marie's thin frame. Marie explained that she didn't think she could be around Jason, she needed some space from him to sort herself out. Then she fell silent, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"Boys suck." Eliza commented moments later, gaining a small chuckle from Marie. "Jason would hate himself if he knew it was something he said, something he most likely didn't mean in the way it came out, which was making you this upset. He'd be crushed if he knew he was the reason you want to leave. That boy cares about you an insane amount, for almost the entire day he's asked how you are and what's wrong and if there is anything he can do. And, don't tell him I told you this but, I swear I saw tears in his eyes when you closed your door on him last night. Please don't let some silly boy's actions spoil the rest of the tour for you!" She desperately didn't want Marie to leave.

"I don't want him to be upset because of me." Marie sighed, "I just think I got myself in too deep and I don't think I can get out again unless I get some space."

"You've got til the morning to decide, right?" Marie nodded, "I really want you to stay, it wouldn't be half as fun without you being here with me. I understand if you need space, I really do, just please, before you decide, talk to Jason? Give him a chance. For me?" Marie hesitated but eventually agreed. She owed Eliza. When James had turned up at their house a while after the break up, it had been Marie who persuaded Eliza to talk to him. Whilst short-term it had really hurt her, it helped her get over him in the long run. Eliza was giving her the same chance now and she was right, Jason at least deserved her to talk to him before she left.

_CR-CR-CR_

After much reluctance (on Marie's part) and much enthusiasm (Jason's) the two had agreed to talk in the girls' suite, whilst the others hung in the guys' giving them privacy. But things weren't going too well. They were currently sat in silence, neither sure what to say.

"I don't want you to go." A simple statement but it was a start. Jason was being truthful, he hadn't thought this tour would be all that fun, especially if his brothers were going to be continuously couple-y, but with Marie around it had been the best one yet. It wasn't until she stopped talking to him that he realised just how much he would miss her if she wasn't there.

"I'm sorry" Marie almost whispered. She really didn't want to upset him.

"You don't have to be sorry, you don't even have to tell me what's wrong, you just have to not leave." Jason sighed.

"I just think it would be better if I did. Things are complicated." She said. When she looked up she saw the hurt in his eyes. "You know I'll miss you Jase."

Jason went to take her hand, as he had so many times during the tour, but she pulled it away. To say it hurt would be an understatement. He cared about her so much but she wouldn't let him help her.

"Ri please. Don't go." He begged. When she said nothing more he stood and walked away. She thought he was leaving and couldn't help but feel she'd just ruined everything. However, seconds later she heard a chord being strummed on a guitar behind her. She turned and watched as Jason started playing an acoustic version of one of her favourite songs.

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind_

_For me it happens all the time_

_It's a quarter after one_

_I'm all alone _

_And I need you now_

_Said I wouldn't call_

_But I lost all control_

_And I need you now_

_And I don't know how_

_I can do without_

_I just need you now._

They'd discussed this song only yesterday, before everything went wrong.

_**The Day Before:**_

"**What you listening to?" Jason asked, leaping over the back of the sofa, landing in the seat beside Marie.**

"'**Need you now' by Lady Antebellum, it's my new favourite song." Marie explained as she handed him one of her headphones and put the song back to the start.**

"**Did you know I'm learning to play this?" Jason asked as they listened.**

"**No! How come?" Marie asked, surprised. She didn't think it was the kind of song Jason would want to play. **

"**The label wants us to do some covers in the set when we take this tour worldwide and I decided we had to do this song." He explained.**

"**That's cool! I was trying to learn the piano bit before me and Liza left." Marie said.**

"**You'll have to play it for me next time you're on our bus." Jason suggested hopefully.**

"**I promise I will." She smiled up at him. Jason didn't know what it was but something about her smile always made him want to smile back. **

**The chorus started and almost as if she didn't realise what she was doing, Marie started to sing along. Jason was amazed. He'd never heard Marie sing before. Her voice was so different to her sister's, more country. As much as he loved the smooth perfection of Eliza's voice, he thought he actually preferred the rougher, less certain, aspect of Marie's.**

"**You should sing more often." He commented when the chorus ended. Marie blushed, she didn't realise he'd been properly listening to her.**

"**I'm not very good. I do it more for fun than anything serious." She explained. As they sat in a comfortable silence during the next verse, Marie watched Jason. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have this opportunity to spend time alone with him, nor how comfortable she felt doing so. The chorus came around again and she said; "Your turn." He smiled back at her before singing. She'd rarely heard him singing solo before but in that moment she found herself wishing he was given the lead vocals more often. She loved his voice.**

**As the song carried on they listened, her to the piano, him to the guitar. When the chorus started again, without knowing the other would, they turned to face each other and sung in sync, their voices blending perfectly together. They kept singing, eyes locked on each other until the song drew to a close. The moment the music stopped Marie looked away, her hair falling to cover her face. She wanted to hide the massive blush spreading across her cheeks. **

"**That was incredible." Jason stated, not moving his eyes from Marie. She looked up at him, her hair still obscuring his view of her face. Before he even noticed it was his hand doing so, Jason moved his hand forward and gently brushed her hair to the side, moving it behind her ear. They shared another smile and without even realising what they were doing they both slowly leaned towards each other. At that moment there was a knock at the door, causing them to leap apart. There stood Nate looking at them oddly.**

"**Mom and dad are here." He explained.**

**And then things went downhill rapidly. Marie overheard Jason's comments and thought it was because she'd been too forward. What Marie didn't realise was Jason's reasons behind his harsh reaction. Nate had more or less just accused him of what he himself had only realised moments before. He was falling for Marie Austen and he didn't know what to do about it.**

_CR-CR-CR_

Marie watched Jason. As he started to play the final chorus she moved over to him, her steps following the beat of the music. At the same moment they both started to sing

_I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all._

_It's a quarter after one_

_I'm all alone and I need you now_

_And I said I wouldn't call_

_But I'm a little drunk and I need you now_

_And I don't how_

_I can do without_

_I just need you now_

_I just need you now_

_Oh baby I need you now_

Marie whispered the last line of the song as she ended up stood in front of Jason.

He stopped playing, his eyes staring straight into Marie's, an almost desperate look in them.

"You promised you would play it for me." He stated before putting his guitar down and wrapping his arms tightly around her, never wanting to let her go.


	27. Tess is Tess?

"I can't believe we are back in Chicago. I think this was one of my favourite holidays." Marie exclaimed as they walked off the bus. This was the one stop she'd been most looking forward to. She was glad she stayed, even if things between her and Jason were still a little awkward.

"Really? I didn't particularly like that holiday." Eliza admitted, remembering what happened the last time they were here.

On the journey to Chicago Eliza had told everyone that she wanted some time alone while they were there. Since leaving Philadelphia the group had been practically inseparable. Marie had eventually told the girls the basic reasoning behind why she'd been so upset.

"So," Shane said, taking control as they all gathered in the guys' suite. "We'll all meet for lunch at Alinea at one, yeah?" The others nodded in agreement before going their separate ways for a while.

"If you need me, I'll be at Ohio Street Beach, okay? I'm a phone call away, no matter what." Eliza told Marie, aware that her sister was planning to spend the rest of the morning alone with Jason.

"Why are you going there?" Marie asked, wondering if her sister remembered what happened there two years ago.

"There's some stuff I need to deal with." Eliza noticed the questioning look Marie was giving, "I know, but I'll be fine."

"How on earth do you two do that?" Jason said, still astonished by their ability to communicate silently.

"I know her too well." Marie explained, giving her sister a hug. "Be good." She joked as Eliza moved to leave. Moments later the older Austen had disappeared in the back of a cab.

"Meet in your suite in five minutes? Just need to find out where the crew have put my guitar." Jason said before wandering off to search the storage room.

Marie sighed. She wanted things to go back to normal, just be friends with Jason and forget everything that happened in New York and everything she'd felt beyond friendship. But every time they shared a smile or they heard what he called 'their song' things would go weird and she was beginning to think it wasn't just her fault.

_CR-CR-CR_

Eliza stepped out onto the sand at Ohio Street Beach, hat and sunglasses firmly in place in an attempt to avoid any over eager fans. She stared out over the lake, remembering the last time she sat on this beach. She approached the shoreline before sinking to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. This was the last place her and Jessie were together. They'd been best friends almost their entire lives, yet one fight managed to ruin everything.

_**Flashback**_

_**The Austen's and Eisenberg's had holidayed together most summers since the families had met. This year they'd given their oldest daughter's the choice of where to go, which landed them in Chicago. It was the final day of the trip and Eliza and Jessie had escaped their families and ended up wandering down to the lakeside. **_

"_**It's amazing how big this lake is." Jessie said but Eliza was too busy texting James to pay any attention. Jessie sighed, frustrated. That was how she'd been all holiday, glued to her phone. "You're texting James again?" She complained, her anger finally boiling over.**_

"_**What's wrong with that?" Eliza asked.**_

"_**Nothing it's just... you're obsessed! All you ever talk about is 'James this' and 'James that!' I'm sick of it." Jessie exclaimed. "It's like you don't care about anyone else anymore! It's getting pathetic."**_

"_**Wow. Tell me how you really feel why don't you?" Eliza snapped sarcastically.**_

"_**You've changed Liza." Jessie paused, looking at the girl who had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, who wasn't even listening anymore, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone. "You don't even care, do you?" Jessie yelled.**_

"_**What? What is your problem? Just because I've found a guy who actually likes me and I like back while you're still single, you're just trying to turn me against him. Grow up Jessie." Eliza sighed, frustrated, but didn't stop texting.**_

"_**It's not about that. I'm glad you've found someone you like but is it worth it when you never see anyone else? Do you not realise that he's..."**_

"_**That he's what?" Eliza yelled. "Making me happy? Treating me better than anyone ever has? Sorry, I didn't realise that was a bad thing." **_

"_**My God, you really can't see it can you?" Jessie was shocked. It was clear to most people around her, yet Eliza just couldn't see what her boyfriend was doing. "He's got you so wrapped around his little finger. I bet you'd probably jump off a cliff for him if he asked you. Do you seriously not get it?" Jessie didn't know what to do. So many times she'd seen James around town with some blond bitch and though she didn't know who the girl was, she knew something was going on between them. It broke Jessie's heart to know that one day Eliza was going to end up heart-broken and no matter how much Jessie warned her, it would never stop her best friend being so naive.**_

"_**No, I don't. Maybe you should explain it to me." Eliza said, glaring at her. **_

"_**He's cheating on you. He's got some blond slut he's going with behind your back and even though he's sucks at hiding it, you won't take any notice." Jessie hadn't wanted to say anything, she'd done her best to bite her tongue, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. Eliza sighed. "What?" Jessie asked, knowing it was a frustrated, not saddened sigh.**_

"_**He was right." Eliza stated, picking her phone up again. "He said you'd be like this, try and turn me against him in any way possible, even make up lies about him to try and get me to break things off. I cannot believe you." Eliza had insisted to James that her best friend would never stoop to such levels, yet here she was, doing exactly what he said she would.**_

"_**He said that because he knows I know. Do you seriously not believe me?" Eliza gave her a look which made Jessie realise she really didn't. "Fine, alright, you want proof? Here." She opened a photo on her phone which she'd taken only a week before. After constantly seeing James and the blond together, Jessie had taken a photo. She hadn't wanted to have to resort to using it, but if Eliza was going to be that stubborn, she'd have to. She handed the phone over and waited for the tears. Instead, she heard Eliza laugh.**_

"_**That's the blond you think he's with behind my back?" Eliza asked in disbelief. "That's just Tess, she's some family friend who he's made to spend time with. They practically grew up together; he's told me all about her. Nothing's going on. He's going to laugh when he hears you think he'd be with her." Eliza picked up her phone, texting him again.**_

"_**You believe him? Liza, we've been best friends our whole lives. Do you think I'd even suggest something like that, when I know it would hurt you, unless I was nearly certain it was true? Please, don't let him do this to you." Jessie begged. **_

"_**I don't know what you'd do anymore Jessie. You've never liked James, that's always been clear; making up some stupid lie to turn me against him probably isn't below you anymore." Eliza shrugged. **_

_**Jessie's mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe Eliza had just said that. This wasn't the girl she'd known for so long. This was someone completely different, someone she never expected Eliza to be. Tears filled her eyes.**_

"_**I wouldn't do that Liza. The old you would know that. This was supposed to be the best holiday ever. We spent so many years trying to persuade our families to take us here and now it's happened I really wish it hadn't. I wish you'd just stayed in Cali with him seeing as it's clearly where you want to be." Jessie looked up, only to see that Eliza wasn't even listening, her eyes fixed on her phone, a smile gracing her lips as she read back through a text she'd just received. "I give up." She sighed, standing. "This is goodbye and you don't give a damn. I'm moving Liza, my whole family is. To England. You don't even care. Forget it, I can't be bothered anymore. When he finally breaks your heart, I won't be there to pick up the pieces and if you keep acting the way you are, no one will." She looked down at the girl she'd met on the first day of kindergarten, who'd been there when she lost her first tooth, who she'd gone on holiday with for the last 13 years. As she watched Eliza she realised she didn't know her any more. The girl she used to stay up all night gossiping with at weekends was gone, replaced by someone she barely knew. She turned and walked away, never looking back.**_

"_**Huh?" Eliza said, hitting send having not listened to a word Jessie had said. She turned to look at Jessie, only to find the spot beside her empty. "Oh for goodness sake." She muttered to herself. She was about to leave to chase after Jessie when her phone rang. "Hey James." She said cheerily, thoughts of the argument disappearing instantly.**_

_**End Flashback**_

Eliza sighed. She hadn't seen Jessie again after that. By the time she got back to the hotel Jessie had already gone to sleep and the next morning the Eisenberg's left before Eliza woke up. Eliza's parents told her how to get in touch, but by that time James had persuaded her she was better off without her.

"Why did I let him do that?" She said to herself. That was the one day, out of everything that happened with him, that she most regretted.

"Eliza?" She'd thought her disguise would be enough to allow her just a few hours alone, but clearly not.

"Eliza Austen, right?" The voice said again. Eliza knew she'd have to turn around sooner or later. She'd learnt that fans never just went away. But in an odd way, the voice sounded almost familiar. The unidentified figure took a seat beside her, following her gaze across the lake.

"You don't recognise me, do you?" The guy asked. Eliza turned towards him and he looked back at her, his lips pulling into a smile. She was shocked. Even though he must have been two years older than when she last saw him, his smile hadn't changed.

"Finlay Eisenberg." She stated, before throwing her arms around the boy who used to be like a brother to her. Finn was Jessie's younger brother and had been as much a part of Eliza's life growing up as his older sister. She'd babysat him, given him advice on how to talk to girls, told him how to dress to impress and would even stay up into the early hours just to talk to him when he was upset. Losing him had almost been as hard as losing Jessie. Now, as they sat together on Ohio Street Beach, with so much having changed since they were last together, it felt like nothing was different.

"Good to see you haven't forgotten us little people now you're a big famous rock star." He said once she released him from her embrace.

"Pop star." She corrected him, having picked the habit up from Mitchie. "And I could never forget you!"

"What brings you to this part of Chicago? Shouldn't you be busy rehearsing or hanging out with famous people or something cooler than sitting on a beach looking out at a lake?" He asked her.

"I had some spare time. I wanted to come back to this beach, so here I am." Eliza explained. Finn looked at her quizzically. "What?" She asked.

"You _wanted_ to come back here? Out of everywhere you could have gone, you chose here?" Finn asked, confused.

"This is where I ruined one of the best things in my life, all over some jerk who wasn't worth it. I thought if I came back here, maybe I could work out some way to fix things, or at least remind myself who I was, and who I should never be again." Eliza turned back to the lake.

"You still regret it that much?" Finn asked. Eliza nodded sadly. "She's in town you know." He told her after they'd been silent for a few moments.

"I thought she'd stayed in England for University?" Eliza had overheard her parents talking about the Eisenberg's return to the States and was certain they'd said Jessie wasn't coming back.

"She did, but she got a week off so came to visit." Finn explained. Eliza sat thinking. She couldn't be here, in Chicago, knowing Jessie was nearby and not see her old best friend. But she had lunch and sound check to go to and she didn't even know if Jessie would want to talk to her.

"Are you two free tonight?" Eliza asked, a thought popping into her head.

"I think so. Why?" He knew his sister missed her ex best friend and he wanted the two girls reunited.

"Here." Eliza wrote down an address and her mobile number before handing the paper over to him. "If you go to door 1 at like, 7, they'll have tickets waiting for you, backstage passes and all. We're planning to hang around after the show for about an hour tonight, it's the only free time I'll have before I leave tomorrow morning. I understand if Jessie doesn't want to see me, but I'd love to see her, to finally apologise for everything I did and said." Eliza explained. "Any problems ring me." Finn thanked her, placing the paper safely in his wallet so he wouldn't lose it.

"You should take my number too, you know, stay in touch." Finn said. Eliza agreed, adding him as a contact on her phone before realising the time.

"Sorry Finn, I've got to go. I'm meant to be meeting people for lunch in ten minutes. But I'll see you tonight?" He promised to be there, getting up at the same time as her. They shared a hug before Eliza turned to leave.

"Hey, Liza?" She turned back to him. "Is Ri here too?" He asked. Eliza smiled, she'd always known Finn had a soft spot for her sister.

"I'll tell her you say hi." Eliza responded, before walking away.

_CR-CR-CR_

Thanks to her cab driver breaking all sorts of speed limits, Eliza arrived at the restaurant before anyone else. Not wanting to go in alone, she stood outside reading the menu. She looked around at the people sat outside eating. They were people she never thought she'd have anything in common with, in fact she and Jessie used to laugh at these types of people who thought eating at expensive restaurants was incredibly important.

As she watched the people outside her eyes landed on a thin platinum blond. For the second time that day, Eliza felt there was something so familiar about the person in front of her. Then the blond spoke and Eliza froze, dread filling her.

"You put avocado in my chicken salad? Are you some kind of moron?" The blond screeched at a rather scared looking waiter who rapidly picked up the salad, apologising profusely and promised to have another one prepared for her straight away, free of charge.

"So typical." Eliza sighed. For one terrifying minute Eliza thought the blond had heard her as she slowly turned and looked straight at her. The blond stood and walked in Eliza's direction lowering her oversized sunglasses to reveal her deep blue eyes staring at Eliza in surprise.

"Well, if it isn't Eliza Austen." She said standing directly in front of her.

"Tess." Eliza replied curtly.

"What are you doing here? I mean, this _really_ isn't your scene." Tess said. The two girls hadn't seen each other for a long time. After James had told Eliza how much better Tess was than her, Eliza made an effort to avoid her at all times.

"I'm meeting some friends here." Eliza said, trying to avoid getting into a conversation.

"What a shame. We should totally meet up while you're... Shaney!" Tess exclaimed, interrupting herself as she noticed someone behind Eliza. She waved enthusiastically, a broad smile showing all her overly white teeth.

"Shaney?" Eliza mouthed to herself before turning around to see who Tess was talking about, only to find Shane and Mitchie walking towards them.

"Tess Tyler." Shane muttered to himself unhappily.

"What's she doing here?" Mitchie whispered to him as they came to a stop beside Eliza.

"You know each other?" Eliza asked, confused.

"Of course we do Eliza! Me and Shaney spent the summer together." Tess explained, wrapping her arms around him.

"This is the girl me and Cait were telling you about from Camp Rock." Mitchie whispered to Eliza.

"You're joking." Eliza muttered.

"Sadly not." Mitchie said as she watched Shane trying to get Tess off. "Wait are you guys friends?" She asked, suddenly realising Tess and Eliza had been talking before they arrived.

"No, definitely not! More complete and utter enemies." Eliza said. "We had a mutual acquaintance a few years back who introduced us to each other." She hadn't told the others about her past with James.

"Oh no." A voice could be heard to exclaim from behind them. They turned to see a very angry looking Caitlyn walking toward them, her eyes locked on Tess and her fists clenched. Nate was desperately trying to hold her back.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Caitlyn yelled as she joined the others,

"I live here, duh!" Tess stated.

"What, did your mom get in so much trouble with the label you had to move out of LA in embarrassment?" Caitlyn asked.

"No. My dad lives here and I decided to live with him for a bit. That whole celebrity, music industry thing was getting pretty old, though you wouldn't understand Caitlyn." Nate had to physically restrain Caitlyn as she lunged at the blond.

"We need to get away from Tess before Marie arrives. Trust me if you think Caitlyn's bad, you won't want to know how Marie reacts." Eliza whispered to Mitchie as she saw her sister and Jason heading towards the restaurant. Last time the two girls had met, Marie had returned with a black eye and sprained wrist.

"We need to get to our table." Mitchie stated, taking Shane by the hand and leading him away. The other's followed quickly afterwards, leaving Tess on her own outside.

They were led to a table away from everyone else, being given privacy. Marie and Jason joined them a few moments later and from the look on her face, Eliza realised Marie had seen Tess.

"I cannot believe her." Marie said as she took a seat beside Eliza. "You should have let me at her Jase, she totally deserves it!" Jason took the seat on the other side.

"I wasn't going to let you beat up someone whose mother has a lot of power, in front of a mass of people." Jason said.

"Marie, I've told you before, you have to leave this thing with Tess, it doesn't matter anymore." Eliza said, trying to calm her sister down.

"I still don't get what your problem with her is; I wouldn't have guessed you even knew her." Jason said.

"She was a bitch to Eliza, obviously I'm going to have a problem with her." Marie stated. As she said it a look realisation crossed Jason's face.

"Wait. That's the Tess you were talking about? Tess Tyler is the one James..." He trailed off, working it all out. "Yeah, Ri, you're right, I should have let you beat her up."

"Can we not talk about it, I'd rather just forget all about her." Eliza stated, picking up her menu and trying to work out what all the fancy names meant.

"Why did we come here again? I swear I don't understand what any of this stuff is." Jason complained a few minutes later.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I much rather somewhere cheap and easy than posh and snobby." Eliza agreed.

"Trust you two to agree." Nate commented, causing the girls to share a rather amused look. "Live a little!"

"Oh, Ri," Eliza said, "you'll never guess who I bumped into earlier."

"The Pope?" Jason suggested.

"No, not the Pope. Finn Eisenberg!" Marie's face lit up hearing the name of one of her oldest friends.

"No way! Where was he?" She asked, leaving the others confused.

"Who is 'Finn Eisenberg'?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Just this guy me and Ri have known most of our lives but haven't seen in ages." Eliza explained. "He and Jessie are coming to the show tonight hopefully." Eliza said to her sister. "Oh and, Finn's become hot." Eliza stated, knowing it would intrigue her sister.

"Really? How hot?" Marie said, partly joking, partly serious. She hadn't seen Finn in two years and she was well aware just how much people change in that time.

"Like, seriously hot. I know he's younger than me, but still, a girl can appreciate good looks. He's totally your kind of guy too, even down to the floppy dirty blond hair." Eliza had no idea what she was doing to Jason as he heard this. He was already struggling to keep his jealousy in check when random guys talked to Marie, how he was going to cope with her talking to some guy who was a good friend of hers and apparently perfect, Jason had no clue.

"I may have to spend some time with him tonight." Marie said, blushing happily.

"There is so more to that than you're telling us." Caitlyn stated, noticing her friend's reaction. "Tell us later?" Marie nodded, though there wasn't much to tell.

**AN: Sorry guys, I got bogged down in work. Finally got this chapter done, I know it's really long but I didn't want to split it in two. In related news, firstly I'm nearly at 100 reviews which is amazing so get me there and I'll be so happy, plus the 100****th**** reviewer will get a virtual basket of baked goods. Secondly, I've been thinking about writing a sequel to this story which is more Marie focused and is about them all spending another summer at Camp Rock together. Let me know if you're interested. Thanks everyone, very much looking forward to your reviews!**


	28. Happy Birthday!

**Important AN: I realised that I made a mistake a few chapters ago, saying Eliza and Jason were 22, I meant 20. I'll go change it shortly.**

"Alright Jessie, yeah, I'll see you then, can't wait! Bye." Eliza said down the phone, ending her hour long conversation. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed talking to her old best friend until they were reunited in Chicago.

"Ri, Finn says he needs you to ring him." Eliza yelled along the corridor to her sister.

"Yeah, he text me. I'll ring him when you're on stage later." Marie said.

"Don't let Jase know you're going to, otherwise he'll take up all your time." Eliza joked. Since Marie had started talking to Finn again over the last few weeks everyone, except Marie, had noticed how he seemed jealous at the mere mention of his name.

"Shut up." Marie responded walking into her sister's room.

"Am I allowed downstairs yet?" Eliza asked. She'd been forced to stay on the top deck of the bus for the whole morning so far. The others were up to something but what, Eliza wasn't sure.

"I'll go check." Marie said, rushing down the stairs. Eliza heard hushed voices before Marie yelled up to her. "Okay, you can come down now!" Eliza smiled, excitement rushing through her, she was still a big kid at heart. She walked down the stairs slowly, unsure what to expect.

"Surprise!" The girls yelled as she reached the bottom step. "Happy Birthday!" Eliza surveyed the bottom deck seeing it covered in balloons and banners, whilst the back booth was filled with a pile of presents.

"Marie! I told you not to tell them or make a big deal of it." Eliza reacted, even though she was very pleased her sister had done all this.

"Firstly, you're turning 21, that's a rather big deal so I wasn't exactly going to let it pass completely unnoticed. Secondly, I didn't tell these two it was your birthday and all this lot," Marie motioned to the decorations, "is down them."

"How did you guys know?" Eliza asked.

"She may be older, but she's definitely not wiser." Mitchie commented. "Eliza, what's today?"

"Er... My birthday?" Eliza stated, confused.

"And..." Caitlyn prompted. Eliza stayed quiet, not sure what they were talking about.

"You really are slow today aren't you?" Caitlyn laughed.

"Who else gets older today?" Mitchie asked. There was a pause.

"Jason?" Eliza said, obviously still not understanding what they were talking about.

"Yes and what is the very secret relationship between the two of you?" Marie said, unable to believe Eliza had yet to get it.

"Oh!" Eliza exclaimed. "Wow, I really am slow today." She said, hitting her head with her hand.

"Anyway. Happy Birthday!" Mitchie said again, hugging her. "I can't believe you're twenty one! And we're going to be in Las Vegas tonight, how perfect is that?" They were all hopeful that Eliza would take them out to celebrate with her later, now she was officially old enough to enjoy to main attractions of the city.

"It's not that perfect seeing as we're going to be performing until like eleven o'clock after which there won't be any time to celebrate." Eliza said, taking a seat.

"There'll be plenty of time! We aren't leaving til late tomorrow morning." Marie reasoned, trying to persuade her sister.

"We'll see." Eliza said, "I have to ask, those presents aren't all from you lot are they?" She worried that her friends had maybe gone overboard.

"Nope, some are but seeing as we only worked out it was going to be your birthday a few days ago we didn't have much time to go present shopping." Caitlyn explained.

"We'll buy you proper ones when the tour's over." Mitchie promised.

"You guys don't have to do that." Eliza said, not wanting them to feel like she expected lots from them. "If they're not from you, who are they from?"

"A few are from me, though I left your main one at home as it was too big to hide, mom and dad brought some family ones over back in Philly. As for the others, they're from friends of yours I guess. We didn't really look when we got them from the crew bus.

"We didn't tell the guys by the way, though I think it's ridiculous to think they'd work everything out from a coincidental joint birthday." Mitchie explained.

"I'm guessing from the decorations you're not planning on letting me keep it a secret all day?" Eliza asked, though she knew the answer.

"Of course not! How could we let Jason celebrate his birthday to the full and ignore yours? We couldn't, so you're just going to have to celebrate it and deal with it." Caitlyn explained.

"I have to admit, I'm quite glad you guys have done this." Eliza said happily. "I never expected to be celebrating my twenty first on a tour bus heading to Las Vegas."

"You're so _old_ now." Marie joked.

"Bet you won't be saying that to Jason later." Eliza teased.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Wakey wakey! Time to celebrate your birthday!" Shane called through his older brother's bedroom door. He chuckled as he heard a thud, followed by an exclamation of pain, knowing Jason had just tried to get out of bed a little too quickly.

"Stupid bed." Jason moaned. He pulled the door open only to be greeted by a party popper exploding in his face.

"Happy Birthday!" Shane yelled excitedly.

"I'm twenty one!" Jason responded proudly. He was still quite surprised by how old he was.

"Are you going to act your age this year?"

"Definitely not." Jason said, before excitedly following his brother downstairs. This was only the second time he'd been on tour during his birthday, so he wasn't quite sure what to expect. Last year they'd been in Florida and he'd had a mini party at Disney World after their performance, which ended up being rather memorable. This year he'd be spending it in Las Vegas, _the_ place to be when you turned twenty one however, as no one else in their tour gang was as old as him, he wouldn't have anyone to experience the main attractions with him, so he doubted being there would be worth it.

He followed Shane through the bus, looking around for decorations, presents, anything to indicate this wasn't just a normal day. Seeing nothing he felt rather disappointed.

"Shane, why does the bus look like it normally does?" Jason asked, not sure how to subtly phrase what he really wanted to ask.

"What do you mean?" Shane asked, taking a seat in the lounge area.

"Well, it's just, I kinda expected decorations or something, you know, to show it's my birthday. Maybe some presents at least?" He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

"We didn't realise you'd want to celebrate on the way. We assumed you'd want to wait til we were all together in the hotel. Sorry man." Shane apologised.

"No, it's cool, I can wait til then. I am twenty one after all." Jason said, taking a seat beside Shane. Sure, he'd rather have a whole day of celebrations, but he understood it was hard to arrange stuff when they were constantly on the road.

"Morning, happy birthday." Nate said, wandering downstairs.

"Don't tell me we actually got up before you for once." Jason asked, shocked. He always slept later than Nate, not that it was hard to do so when the youngest Grey was up at six almost every morning.

"Nah, I was in my room working on some stuff, didn't hear you get up."

"What are you always working on these days? It's not like we need any new songs now the new albums done." Shane questioned, wondering what it could be that Nate was being so secretive about.

"I'm just helping Caitlyn with something that she doesn't want to tell people about yet." He knew it was bad to use his girlfriend as an excuse but he wanted to have more songs prepared before he told them his plan. "What do you want to do to celebrate then Jase?" He said, trying to change the subject.

"There's nothing I can really do, I mean you guys aren't old enough to go out and I don't really want to celebrate alone so I guess we'll just have to hang out in the hotel." Jason said. As much as he'd love to go out and experience Vegas, he thought it wouldn't be much fun doing so on his own.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it anyway. You want some breakfast?" Nate offered, feeling slightly guilty that his brother wasn't getting the chance to properly celebrate such a big birthday.

"Any chance you could make pancakes?" He asked, hopefully. Nate rolled his eyes but pulled out the easy mix batter he'd bought, expecting this request. They sat quietly for a few moments as Nate cooked, choosing not to fully flip them, knowing that if the bus suddenly broke, there'd be mess everywhere.

"When are we next stopping?" Jason said after he'd checked the message waiting on his phone.

"Twenty minutes or so apparently." Nate replied as he placed the plate of food on the table, the other two quickly taking a seat and diving in. "Why?"

"Just wondering when we can see the girls." Jason explained. The text had been from Marie, making her the first person to wish him happy birthday because she'd sent it at one minute past midnight. It was such a simple thing, but it made Jason feel she cared more than the others.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Girls, you have a ten minute pit stop. Oh and Eliza, happy birthday." Angela said through the intercom. Their driver had stayed very quiet through most journeys they'd been on; in fact if it wasn't for the bus' movement, they would have forgotten she was there altogether.

"Thanks!" Eliza called as she moved towards the doors. As they slid open they were greeted by an unexpected amount of fans, all screaming their names. The label had been desperately trying to keep quiet where they would be making stops, so much so that none of them even knew. However for the second time in a week they'd been greeted by massive crowds, yet no one seemed to know how the information was getting out. There had been mention of the possibility of there being a mole within the crew and though she'd laughed at the suggestion a few days ago, Eliza was starting to wonder if there may be some truth to it.

Moments later security arrived and the girls were escorted through the crowds. Once inside they gathered in the shop, agreeing to meet the guys there once they made it through the madness outside.

"How do they keep finding us?" Mitchie asked, rather freaked out by the incident. She still wasn't used to the reaction from fans, sometimes forgetting the she was famous now.

"I have no idea, but I hope they put a stop to it soon, I don't particularly like having to be escorted everywhere." Marie stated.

"You're going to have to get used to it Ri, I doubt it'll stop even when the tour is over." Eliza said. Since she came on the tour, Marie had gained her own fame. Sure it was only as 'Eliza Austen's sister' but still, she was being recognised without the others around. It was making Eliza a bit concerned as she wasn't sure what would happen once the press found out she was adopted, and how it would reflect on Marie, more than herself.

Soon the boys arrived one by one, Shane moaning instantly about how crazy some of their fans were. As Jason came to join their group the girls shared a knowing look before rushing forward and flinging their arms around him, yelling 'happy birthday', causing the biggest smile ever to cross his face.

"You guys rock." He said cheerfully, before excusing himself, explaining that he had a bear to buy. Marie followed him.

"Only three left to buy." She commented as she caught up with him. Jason nodded. "I can't believe it's nearly over. It doesn't feel like it's been almost two months." She picked up a bear dressed as Elvis, "This one's cool" She stated, handing it over to him.

"Very Las Vegas." He replied, deciding to buy it instantly.

"What's going to happen once this is all over?" Marie asked as they waited to be served at the checkout.

"We get a few weeks rest and then we head out to the rest of the world. Maybe you could come with us?" He suggested even though unsure whether Eliza and Mitchie were going to be their opening acts overseas, he wasn't ready to have to say goodbye.

"I doubt I'll be allowed, especially if Liza isn't going. I do need to go back to school at some point; I can't miss the whole year."

_CR-CR-CR_

A short while later they were escorted back to the buses the guys agreeing to spend the rest of the journey on the girls' bus so they could all be together. Jason stood staring at the bus in all its decorated glory. He smiled as he saw the large banner which read 'Happy 21st Birthday' and his eyes lit up as he saw the pile of presents.

"You girls are seriously the best." He exclaimed. It took them a moment but the girls all came to realise what he was assuming and they weren't sure what to do.

"Er, Jase, it's not exactly what you think. This isn't completely for you." Caitlyn explained cautiously.

"Who's it for then?" He asked slightly hurt. He didn't want someone to be stealing his big day.

"It is partly for you!" Marie said, feeling guilty.

"But it's kinda for me too." Eliza stated. She could tell the girls were desperately trying to think of an excuse and realised it was easier for her just to admit the truth.

"It's your birthday too?" Jason asked, his surprised look matching his brothers. Eliza nodded and was caught off guard when Jason rushed at her, engulfing her in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me? That's so cool. We're like exactly the same age, like twins!" Eliza had to bite her tongue to stop herself from saying anything. She knew he'd meant it as a joke, but to hear him say those words, and in such a happy way, Eliza knew that if he ever found out the truth, his reaction may actually be positive. "I've always wanted a twin." He stated.

Nate moved across the bus and stood watching the others. As Jason mentioned his desire for a twin he saw everyone's reaction, from Eliza's proud smile, to Marie and Caitlyn's shared look indicating they knew something and Mitchie's clearly held back laugh. His mind was working in overdrive, the pieces clicking together and suddenly his eyes widened.

"Cait." Marie whispered, motioning to Nate who looked in a state of shock, his face pale, mouth hanging open.

"My room?" Caitlyn suggested. Marie agreed and instantly the two of them were at Nate's side, grabbing him by the arms and pulling him up the stairs.

"What was that?" Jason asked, noticing the strange action.

"It's a, erm, secret, for your birthday. Yeah. Er Shane, stay here, make sure they don't come upstairs." Mitchie said, coming up with an excuse off the top of her head. Eliza threw her a thankful glance before Mitchie disappeared up the stairs after the others.

"It's our birthday!" Jason yelled excitedly, jumping up and down excitedly.

"You're meant to be how old?" Shane joked.

_CR-CR-CR_

"No way. No freaking way." Nate kept repeating those two phrases over and over again as he stood staring into middle distance in Caitlyn's room.

"Nate, whatever you're thinking, it's not true." Marie said, trying to stop him before he confirmed what his assumptions were.

"If it's not true then why did you two drag me up here?" He asked, suddenly snapping out of his daze. The girls didn't know how to respond. "See, you don't have any excuse, so clearly there's something to know and why would you have reacted at that point if it's not what I'm thinking it is? I don't know how I didn't see it sooner, I mean you girls have been being way secretive throughout the tour, Jase and Liza are the same age, mom and dad were furious she was on the tour and, no offence Marie, but you and her look nothing alike. It's so obvious." Nate sighed, stopping to think briefly before continuing, "But why don't we know Jason had a twin? He's always wanted one you know. He used to pretend he had an invisible one, which would wind mom and dad up a lot. Why didn't they just tell him the truth? I can't believe she's his..." Nate trailed off as he came to another realisation. He sunk onto the bed, the full reality of the situation hitting him. Caitlyn took as seat as he stated what he'd just figured out. "I have a sister." He said bluntly. "Why am I only just finding this out?" Nate sighed and Caitlyn took his hand in hers comfortingly, knowing how much of a shock this would come as.

"You're not supposed to have. Your parents don't want you to know and you can't tell Shane or Jason. If your parents find out you know before they tell you, Eliza will be in a lot of trouble. That's why she didn't tell you. She's only known herself for two years, trust me, she was pretty shocked too." Marie explained. Nate looked up at her sadly.

"It's not fair. How could they not tell us something like this? I don't get it." Nate moaned, slowly becoming less shocked and more angry.

"Neither do we, but it's their rules and sadly we've had to stick to them, though we haven't been too successful." Marie said, sharing a look with Caitlyn. In the space of just under two months it had gone from being a complete secret, to three extra people knowing.

"Why did my parents give her up and then have us?" Nate asked, trying to figure everything out as calmly as possible in the situation.

"That's for them to explain Nate. I've never really understood it myself and all me and Liza know is what our parents told us." Marie explained as she took as seat on his other side. She could tell he was finding it hard to process all this new information.

"Are you guys okay?" Mitchie asked as she walked into the room.

"Does she know?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, all four of us do, but no one else on the tour does, not even Eric." Mitchie explained

"How on earth did you guys keep quiet about this?" Nate asked, realising how hard it must have been for them, spending all their time with the guys and never being allowed to say anything.

"It was hard, trust us." Caitlyn responded. She was more than a little relieved now that Nate knew the truth; she hated keeping secrets from him, especially when he'd shared so much with her.

"What do the others think we're talking about up here?" Marie asked.

"I told them we were planning a birthday surprise and that we needed Shane to keep an eye on them to make sure they stay downstairs." Mitchie explained. "Which means we now actually do have to plan a birthday surprise."

"We've already got one arranged for Jason at the hotel." Nate explained. The others gave him curious looks, "No, I'm not telling you; you'll have to wait and see." He insisted.

"What if we do something in the show?" Marie suggested, a sly smile appearing on her face.

"You know Ri, I like the way you think." Nate responded, smiling himself.

"Well, I'm lost." Caitlyn responded, Mitchie nodding in agreement.

"Eliza's kept her birthday really quiet, meaning none of her fans know, and Jason loves birthdays and he's not too happy that he doesn't get to celebrate it properly, so what if we give them a mini party on stage?" Nate suggested. The three girls' faces lit up in excitement and they rapidly began planning.

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews last chapter, you will all be receiving virtual cupcakes. Sadly, with my reviews standing at 99, no one has yet earned the virtual baked goods basket but we're so close. Let me know what you think and I'll be eternally grateful! **


	29. Twenty First Celebrations

"Hey Jase, you know what this means?" Shane said as he, Jason and Eliza sat waiting for the others to return. Jason just looked at him blankly. "You get to go out in Las Vegas after all." Jason smiled in realisation.

"Do you want to?" He asked Eliza, "I understand if you don't it's just, well, it might be a cool way to celebrate." He was trying to appear casual but in reality he really wanted to go out.

"Sounds good to me, will we have enough time?" Eliza asked.

"Depends how tired you're willing to be tomorrow." Shane responded. "If it was me, I'd give up sleep altogether to celebrate such an important occasion." He encouraged them.

"We could just stay out until we get tired?" Jason suggested, to which Eliza agreed enthusiastically, getting quite excited.

"Hey Shane, can we borrow you a sec?" Mitchie called down the stairs. He excused himself, leaving the birthday boy and girl alone.

"The bus looks really cool." Jason stated. "The girls went all out for you."

"You want to share it?" Eliza suggested, sensing he was a bit jealous. "In fact," She continued as she rose from her seat and crossed the bus to a small cupboard in the kitchen area. She'd discovered it to be quite a good hiding place over the last few weeks and when the guys had asked them to give them their presents for Jason, she'd kept one behind so he wouldn't have to wait all day to receive anything. She returned to her seat before handing over the small present.

He pulled the shiny wrapping off, revealing a tiny box. He slid the lid off before emitting an incredibly girly squeal as he saw what was inside.

"Liza, this is awesome!" He exclaimed, repeatedly flipping the new plectrum over and over in his hand. It was bright blue. One side had an image of a robin standing on a branch with his initials on, the other a carefully drawn birdhouse. It was perfect. "I'm keeping this forever." He said, wrapping his arms around Eliza. Then, realisation hit him and he turned suddenly solemn.

"What's up?" Eliza asked, worried something was wrong with her gift.

"I didn't get you anything. You got me this perfect gift and I have nothing to give you in return." Jason explained sadly.

"Jase, don't be silly. I didn't tell you it was my birthday. I don't expect you to get me anything." Eliza responded.

"But that's not fair." He sighed. They were both quiet for a moment before Eliza had an idea.

"Tell you what. Tonight, when we go out, you help me celebrate properly and we're even, okay?" She suggested.

"No. I'll help you celebrate and then, when we're done with the tour, I will buy you the most awesome present ever, _then_ we'll be even." He held out his hand. "Deal?" Eliza nodded before shaking his hand.

"Deal" She said.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Jase, Liza, you guys have to stay on the bus until we tell you, kay?" Nate said. They wanted to be sure everything was set up in the hotel before the two of them got to see it. They had moved to the guys' bus so everything from the girls', including all of Eliza's presents which she had refused to open until Jason got his, could be easily moved.

"I still can't believe we're twenty-one." Eliza said as she took a seat.

"I know, it's so old. I swear I'm not mature enough to be that old." Jason responded.

"No, you're really not." Eliza joked. She loved how immature her twin often was, it was definitely better than being constantly serious.

Five minutes later Nate returned, informing them they were now allowed to enter. Jason was so excited he actually ran through the hotel to get to the suite everyone was sharing (a one off as it was their birthdays). As Shane opened the door wide smiles spread across both their faces.

The entire room was filled with balloons of different shapes and sizes, some reading 'Happy 21st', others in the shape of a 21. On the walls hung banners and photos of both Jason and, thanks to some last minute contact with the Austen's, Eliza through their lives. The floor was barely visible under the massive pile of presents.

"Guys, this is insane!" Eliza exclaimed as she looked around. "How did you do all this?"

"We had some of the crew help." Shane explained. It had taken quite a bit of pre-planning to make sure everything was where it needed to be in time.

"This _so_ beats Disney!" Jason stated. "So...presents?" He suggested. Eliza nodded enthusiastically and they were ushered to the sofas in the centre of the room while the rest of the gang handed the presents over one at a time.

After nearly an hour of continuous unwrapping there were only six presents left, three each. One from each of their parents, their gifts from Marie, who'd insisted hers were opened last, and two small ones, wrapped in the same paper which only had a 'to' not a 'from'.

"Let's open these next." Jason suggested, picking up the mystery gifts and handing Eliza hers. They opened them at the same time, ripping the paper off rapidly and discarding it on the floor. They were left holding a small, square box each. There was one difference though; Eliza's had a large note attached. They opened the boxes to reveal two very similar charms, a small five point star made out of sterling silver, the only difference being that Jason's had 'brother' engraved on it and Eliza's 'sister'. On the back was the date and time of their births, Eliza a few minutes after Jason's.

"Wow, our fans are generous." Jason stated as he inspected the charm before removing the chain from around his neck and sliding the star onto it.

"Yeah." Eliza replied, the note still firmly gripped in her hand. She had a sense this wasn't from some anonymous fan. She excused herself, going into her room wanting to read the note in private. The others shared a concerned glance, those who knew the secret having their own theories about the mysterious gifts.

Eliza took a seat on the edge of the bed, placing the charm beside her. She unfolded the note nervously, unsure who it would be from.

_Dear Eliza,_

_I hope you like the charm. I'm aware you don't know who I am, don't worry, I'll explain. You have actually met me, though your parents didn't explain who I really was. My name is Tiffany Black. I am your biological Grandmother (on your birth mother's side)._

_Why couldn't I just put that on the gift tag you ask? I'm not sure if my grandsons yet know of your true relation to them and I knew if they saw my name, they'd wonder why I was giving you and Jason such similar gifts._

_I've watched you grow up, from a tiny baby on the day of your birth to the mature and successful young lady you now are. You used to ask your parents who I was whenever I visited in your childhood and every time they told you I was a family friend. I'm glad you can now know the truth and perhaps I can finally treat you as a Grandmother should her only Granddaughter. _

_I guess you're wondering why your parents didn't tell you about me when they told you about your adoption. I asked them not to; I wanted to tell you in my own way, when I felt the time was right which I do now._

_When you were born, I was the first person Denise and Paul told about their plan. I tried to persuade them not to go through with it, but they were too determined. I am so sorry I was unable to stop you being separated from your family. After I spoke to my daughter that day, I rushed out to buy both you and Jason a gift each. They came in two parts._

_You both received the first part on your 13__th__ birthdays, a symbol of your transition into teenage. Do you remember it? A tiny silver charm bracelet, though it contained no charms, ready for you and your family to fill. If I remember correctly, you refused to take it off, even when you slept. Jason received a chain of his own, which he wears around his neck continuously. Unlike you, he was aware it was from me._

_The second part is the charm you now have in your possession. I've waited twenty one years to give it to you. I wanted both you and Jason to have something which binds you together, no matter how subtly. _

_I hope this charm helps to bring you together. It was always my wish to see all my grandchildren spending time with each other. _

_I hope that soon I will see you again, but in the mean time always remember Eliza dear, that throughout your life you had a family who loved you, whether they be blood relations or not, you made them so happy. _

_Happy 21__st__ Birthday. May all your dreams come true._

_Love, Tiffany Black._

Eliza placed the note beside her, unhooking the chain which had become a constant feature on her wrist over the last 8 years. She looked at the many charms she had collected. Every year she'd been given one by her parents and one by Marie. Her eyes fell on her favourite charm, a tiny music note, engraved with the date she'd signed her record contract. Every time she looked at it, it reminded her of the best day of her life.

She slid the new charm in place, before putting the bracelet back on her wrist. She smiled at the piece of jewellery which now represented both of her families, connected.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Liza, can I show you something?" Mitchie asked, poking her head round the dressing room door. Eliza agreed and allowed Mitchie to lead her back to the stage.

"What did you want to show me?" She asked as they came to a halt.

"You'll see in a minute." They waited, listening to Connect 3 perform 'Pushing Me Away', their final song before their encore.

"They sound so much better than they used to, even in their old stuff." Eliza commented. She rarely heard the guys' set, remaining in her dressing room once her performance was over.

"I know what you mean, I'm glad the label gave them this chance." Mitchie responded.

"Today's a very special day on the 'Play My Music' tour." They heard Shane say to the crowd, surprising Eliza who had expected them to disappear off the stage in the usual false end style. "Not one, but _two_ people are celebrating their twenty-first birthdays." Jason's head snapped up as he realised what Shane was saying. He blushed when he heard the cheer of the crowd.

"Jason is now a fully fledged adult, hard to believe I know." A laugh could be clearly heard from the audience. "And so is someone you have already seen tonight. Do you think you could give us a hand getting the birthday girl on stage?" The crowd cheered again and from her position beside Mitchie, Eliza couldn't help but laugh.

"After three you all need to yell 'Eliza' okay?" Shane explained before counting to three slowly and then, in an almighty eruption of noise, Eliza heard her name screamed by nearly 17,000 people. Mitchie led her onto the stage, whilst Nate dragged Jason to the centre so the two of them were stood side by side.

"We want you guys to help us to help them celebrate, what do you think?" Mitchie asked, receiving yet more cheers in response.

"Ready?" Nate asked, the others nodding in response before leading the crowd in a performance of Happy Birthday. As everyone sang, Marie and Caitlyn walked slowly and carefully onto the stage, each carrying a birthday cake with 21 lit candles on top. They placed a cake each on the table which had been positioned in front of the twenty one year olds.

Jason's cake was so perfect he couldn't believe it.

"This is so cool!" He exclaimed into the microphone as he stood staring at his cake, whilst it stared back at him. It was an intrinsically crafted robin, completed with individual feathers, all made from Victoria sponge cake and fully iced. It sat on a branch and in it's mouth it held a piece of paper upon which were the words 'Jason Grey 21 today.' It was the absolute perfect cake for him.

Eliza meanwhile couldn't believe the cake she was presented with. It was shaped to look like a stack of CDs, each representing a real album she owned, including Connect 3s latest. The CD on the top was her own, complete with album cover which had been copied so precisely it looked almost real. On top of the CDs lay an IPod, with the headphones hanging down beside it. The screen read 'Happy Birthday' with 'Eliza Austen' below as if it was the artist name of the track being listened to. To Eliza, it was definitely the best cake she had ever received.

The girls stood there proudly watching their friends' reactions. They had taken it upon themselves to provide the cakes, having discovered a couple of weeks ago that Shane and Nate had forgotten that aspect of birthdays. They'd found a specialist bakery located near to the stadium and had spent nearly two hours on the phone describing in detail how they wanted the cakes to be.

When the singing ended the lights were dimmed, leaving Eliza and Jason in a dull centre spot, the candle light illuminating their faces. They each made a wish before counting to three together, blowing their candles out in sync.

"This song is for the birthday people and if anyone out there in the audience is celebrating their birthday today, it's for you too!" Shane called as he and Nate stated to play. Jason threw a panicked glance at them but Marie leaned up to his ear.

"Don't worry, you don't need to play this one, just enjoy it." She said as Nate and Shane started to perform the cover of "I've got a feeling' by the Black Eyed Peas which they'd only learnt hours before. As they all got into the song, jumping and down to the beat excitedly, the stage was being slowly drenched in confetti. Marie and Caitlyn removed the cakes from the stage before running back on with arms full of balloons. They ran to the end of the cat walk, throwing them out into the audience. The party raged on for the rest of the encore, with the entire gang remaining on stage, dancing and singing along.

"Happy birthday!" Nate called as the final note rang out through the auditorium. The girls left the stage, allowing the guys to say their final goodnights alone.

"I am so going to kill you for that." Eliza joked as she and Mitchie walked back to the dressing rooms.

"You loved it and you know it. Who else can say 17,000 people sang them happy birthday on their twenty first?"

"True." Eliza conceded, a smile breaking out across her face. It was only 9 o'clock, she had yet to go out and celebrate, but she knew already this was the best birthday she'd ever had.

"Who wants cake?" Caitlyn asked as she and Marie entered the room.

"Me!" Eliza squealed. Cake was one of her favourite things about birthdays. If she had her way, she'd eat birthday cake every day.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Do you want to head out soon?" Jason asked minutes after they arrived back at the hotel.

"No, you guys have to sit on the sofa now, you can go out later." Mitchie informed them before she and the others disappeared into Caitlyn and Marie's joint room.

"Are your birthdays normally like this?" Eliza asked.

"Depends on where we are and what we're doing. Tour birthdays are often pretty cool as we all feel the need to make them a bit more special since we don't get to see our friends." Jason explained.

"Guys, can you close your eyes?" Marie asked, joining them in the living room. When she was sure they were closed she told the others to come back in. When Eliza and Jason re-opened their eyes moments later they saw two packages sat on the table in front of them.

"Guys, you've already given me too many presents! I can't take any more." Eliza said.

"Yes you can. We decided to all club together to get you both something extra special from the five of us." Marie explained.

"You guys really didn't have to." Jason insisted.

"You going to open them or what?" Shane asked impatiently. They picked up the gifts and carefully unwrapped them. Jason tore his paper away to reveal a James Bond style tux, whilst Eliza's final gift turned out to be a beautiful cocktail dress. It was a strapless black number, with a sweetheart neckline and a crossover bodice made of pure silk. It was short, stopping halfway down her thigh, but not in a slutty way. It was simple yet elegant, with a wavy side detail giving it an extra touch.

They were ushered into their rooms to change and when Eliza returned minutes later the gang were left speechless. She'd untied her hair, allowing it to flow beyond her shoulders.

"You look stunning." Marie said, slightly jealous of how naturally beautiful her sister was.

"When did you guys have time to buy this?" Eliza asked.

"Where do you think me and Caitlyn were whilst you and Mitchie were performing." Marie explained. She was rendered speechless moments later when Jason emerged from his room in his tux, taking her breath away.

"This is awesome." He stated before his eyes landed on Eliza. "Wow. You girls have a good choice in clothes." He stated.

"You ready to go?" Eliza asked.

"Definitely. We'll see you guys later, though we may be quite late." Jason said, extending his arm for Eliza to take.

"Have fun; don't blow all your money on the slots." Marie joked. They gave one last wave before disappearing out the door.

"How about we make a bet of our own?" Shane suggested mischievously.

"What sort of bet?" Mitchie asked, uncertain.

"We bet how drunk they will be upon their return." He explained.

"They won't be, they aren't like that." Nate defended.

"Not normally, but tonight is their birthday and they are in Vegas." Marie reasoned. "You're on Shane."

_CR-CR-CR_

"We don't tell them what happened tonight, agreed?" Eliza asked in a slightly slurred voice as they stumbled into the hotel elevator. She was tipsy, but not as bad as Jason.

"Course not, telling them would be silly. We don't want to be silly!" Jason exclaimed. They'd drunk rather more than they had planned and had discovered that Jason was the bigger lightweight of the two. "Do you know what Li?" Jason asked, using his newly adopted nick name for her. He'd said it by accident and then claimed it to be the coolest name ever before proceeding to call her it continuously for the rest of the night.

"What Jay bird?" Eliza had tried to come up with a clever name for him, but in her inebriated state she had failed massively.

"I feel like I've _always_ known you. Like when we first met it was as if we'd met before, I just didn't remember where. How _weird_ is _that?"_ Jason said before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"You're _so_ weird!" Eliza claimed, laughing along with him. "The only time we could have met is... Ooh look, they opened." She interrupted herself as the elevator doors slid open, luckily stopping her before she said something she'd really regret.

The two of them walked to the door of their suite, taking over exaggerated steps in an attempt to be quiet, although their constant giggling stopped it being possible. They opened the door after many failed attempts at getting the key in the lock, only to be greeted by five surprised, and slightly unimpressed faces.

"Do you guys realise how late it is?" Caitlyn asked grumpily, clearly tired. They had agreed to stay up until the two of them got back, wanting to see the result of their birthday celebrations, but they hadn't expected to be kept waiting so long.

Eliza and Jason looked at their wrists, as if checking their watches, only to find nothing there, an action which resulted in them bursting into laughter once more.

"We don't have watches!" Eliza laughed.

"Are you guys actually drunk?" Nate asked, shocked by the state of his brother and sister. The two shook their heads rapidly, then Eliza moved in front of Nate and half whispered;

"Actually we are, but shhhh," she put a finger to his lip, signalling for him to be quiet, "don't tell anyone." Nate patted her on the head patronisingly.

"You all owe me a fiver." Marie said triumphantly.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Mitchie said, taking Eliza's hand as Shane did the same to Jason. They were led to their beds and within a few minutes they were both fast asleep, still fully dressed.

**AN: I reached 100 reviews! Dizprincess77 you were the 100****th**** reviewer, you rock! And to everyone else so much, I never thought this story would be so successful. I really hope you liked this story and if you could let me know your thoughts, and any criticism so I can make the story better in its final few chapters, well I always enjoy reading them. **


	30. Without You

"I am never drinking again." Eliza complained as she walked into the living area the next morning, a hangover fully in place.

"Sure, not until you and Jase go for a night out again you mean." Marie said as she handed her sister a painkiller and some water.

"No, I mean never. If it means I wake up feeling like someone is trying to hammer a hole through the side of my head, the fun of being drunk is not worth it." Eliza moaned.

"What the hell did you two drink last night?" Caitlyn asked, joining them on the sofas. There was silence as Eliza tried to remember what happened the night before.

"I have no idea. I remember arriving at Caesar's Palace, which I think is the first place we went, then next thing I remember is waking up this morning." Eliza explained, slightly worried she had forgotten an entire evening.

"You seriously don't remember anything?" Marie asked. Eliza shook her head, groaning as that caused her even more pain.

"You're an idiot." Mitchie stated as she joined the others. The guys were still fast asleep, making the most of the late departure time they had that day. "Just before you fell asleep you told me Jason was the best guy you'd ever met and you couldn't imagine your life without him." She informed Eliza.

"That's not too bad." Eliza reasoned.

"You text me and said you and Jason had been kidnapped by dragons and were being held captive at Excalibur." Caitlyn said. "You were apparently only allowed to leave if one of you won at poker. Then you text me an hour later saying they'd let you go because you were the worst poker players ever." They'd all received numerous texts throughout the night and expected that the majority of Eliza's phonebook had too.

"See, that's just funny." Eliza said, "Though maybe I should check my phone, see what else I sent." Eliza headed back to her room to retrieve it, Marie following close behind.

"You may want to find out how much Jase remembers." The younger girl said when they were alone.

"I'm sure he remembers as little as I do." Eliza said, not noticing how concerned her sister sounded.

"You phoned me last night while you were out." Marie said, explaining what she knew of the night before. "You kept saying over and over 'I'm going to tell him the truth, it's his turn to know, I'm going to tell him.' I tried to dissuade you but you just hung up."

"You mean I might have told him the one thing I _really_ shouldn't have?" Eliza clarified, now desperately trying to remember what, if anything, she'd said to him. They heard a very unhappy groan from the other room. Jason was awake and regretting last night.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Okay everyone, on the buses. Jason, Eliza, I've given you two buckets in case you feel sick. I don't know what you got up to last night, and I don't want to know, but I expect you fully recovered by the time we get to San Diego, you understand?" Eric had been expecting the eldest members of the group to be worse for wear this morning so he hadn't been too surprised when he walked into the hotel suite to find them looking like death warmed up.

"Why did we think drinking a large amount was a good idea the night before a five and a half hour journey?" Jason questioned as they climbed onto the guys' bus.

"I don't think we actually thought that far before we started drinking." Eliza stated.

"I might go have some more sleep." Jason decided before climbing the stairs, hoping that when he woke up the pain would be gone from his head.

"Do you know what I'm really craving?" Eliza asked randomly a few seconds later. "Birthday cake. Who wants some of Connect 3s' album?" The others laughed as Eliza headed into the kitchen area, clearly ignoring the hangover, cutting herself a rather generous slice of CD cake.

"Isn't this our last journey on this bus?" Caitlyn asked, looking around sadly.

"I guess so, we're going to LA in yours right?" Nate responded.

"That's how it works when you alternate day to day." Mitchie said moodily, clearly still tired from the late night.

_CR-CR-CR_

A few hours later, as the bus trundled towards its next destination, the outside world caught Eliza's attention.

"I don't like the look of that cloud." Eliza complained as she stared at the dark clouds gathering nearby, sensing a thunderstorm may be on its way.

"Yeah, it's quite dark." Caitlyn agreed taking a quick look before returning her attention to her laptop, not that interested in the weather. Marie gave her sister a comforting pat on the shoulder, knowing why Eliza kept staring at the clouds.

As silence returned to the bus Mitchie made herself ore comfortable in Shane's arms before slowly drifting off to sleep. Nate came to join the five of them at the table, taking instant interest in Caitlyn's screen, a frequent occurrence between the two of them.

"Is Jason still asleep?" Eliza asked, noticing that he hadn't yet returned from his nap.

"He just woke up but went to the back booth. He said he didn't like the look of the weather and thought it might be safer in there or something like that." Nate explained.

"Yeah, I think I agree with him." Eliza responded, glancing once more out the window. "In fact, I might go join him." She said, standing and walking down the bus.

"Hey, can I join you?" she asked pulling the door open to find Jason curled up on the sofa.

"Sure, take a seat." Jason replied, shifting so there was room for her beside him. As she sat down there was a quiet rumble of thunder which made them both flinch. They glanced at each other, surprised they'd had similar reactions.

"You don't like storms?" Jason asked, another rumble following his question.

"Never have, they terrify me. As soon as I see the dark clouds rolling in I start to freak out." She explained.

"I'm the same, I can't stand them. I was hoping if I hid in here the sound proofing would stop me hearing it."

"You realise the sound proofing only works to stop sound going out, not coming in?" Eliza asked. Another slightly louder rumble was heard making them both jump.

"I do now." Jason replied as he glared at the ceiling.

"Let's play a game. You know, distract ourselves." Eliza suggested, wanting to get her mind off what was occurring outside.

_CR-CR-CR_

"What are you two continuously working away at on that laptop?" Shane asked. He leant over to peak at Caitlyn's screen, but she turned it away from him to stop him seeing.

"We'll show you when we are done." Nate said. He had yet to pluck up the courage to explain to his brothers about his new music project, but he'd persuaded Caitlyn to help him out. Shane moved back to his original position, disappointed he was being kept in the dark.

"Stop. Sleeping." Mitchie complained from her position within his arms.

"Telling you what to do even while she sleeps, impressive." Caitlyn commented, earning herself a glare from the grumpy popstar.

The storm continued to rumble, getting gradually closer to them. One rather large flash was almost instantly followed by a crash of thunder and a loud scream.

"What the hell was what?" Mitchie asked, leaping up from her sleeping position, now wide awake.

"Eliza screaming. Don't worry it's a frequent occurrence during storms." Marie explained, clearly not surprised. "She's had, like, a phobia of them ever since she got caught outside in one."

"She got caught outside in one?" Nate asked intrigued.

"Yeah, she went for a walk and was in this field surrounded by trees when a storm hit overhead. Lightening actually struck the field about 100 feet in front of her it was that close." Marie explained.

"Jeez! I'd be terrified if that happened to me." Shane admitted.

"Well Jase is scared of them too so I'm sure they can keep each other company til it passes." Nate reasoned.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Sorry Jase, I didn't mean to destroy your ear drums." Eliza apologised, embarrassed that the weather had made her scream.

"No worries, my ear drums are fine. My arm on the other hand..." Jason said, gently lifting her hand from his arm, into which she had been digging her fingernails.

"Sorry." She said as Jason wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"No worries, I'm glad someone else is as bad as me about storms." He explained. It was better to have her cowering in fear along with him than to have Nate and Shane teasing him about his irrational fear. "Your screams a better sound than the thunder anyway." Eliza smiled, relaxing more and more as the thunder got quieter as they drove away from the storm.

_CR-CR-CR_

The rest of the journey passed uneventfully and sooner than she would have liked Eliza found herself stood at the side of the San Diego stage, ready for the penultimate show.

"And now, it's my pleasure to introduce to you Eliza Austen!" Mitchie called into the microphone. Eliza walked on stage, a wide smile on her face. This performance meant a lot to her. Whenever she'd gone to shows to watch her favourite artists perform, she'd always gone to this stadium. Almost exactly a year ago she'd stood where her fans now were, alongside Marie watching TJ Tyler perform. Though she hated Tess, she had to admit her mom was talented.

As Mitchie left the stage Eliza moved into the centre of the stage. She slid the microphone into its stand as lights flooded the stage, startling her for a moment before she adjusted. She could just see the outline of the thousands of fans staring up at her. She smiled, before kicking off her set.

"How you guys doing tonight?" She said into the mike, loving the screams she received in response. "My life would suck without all you fans!" She called as the familiar beat to her first single started to play.

_Guess this means you're sorry_

_You're standing at my door_

_Guess this means you take back_

_All you said before_

_Like how much you wanted_

_Anyone but me_

_Said you'd never come back_

_But here you are again_

_Cos we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You got a piece of me_

_And honestly _

_My life would suck_

_Without you_

Eliza was glad her set started with this song. It was the only one she hadn't written and whilst she didn't agree with the lyrics, the music was so energetic that it got her adrenaline pumping every time. Plus, at every stage of the tour, the crowd knew the lyrics and would sing along. Hearing people singing her songs was the best feeling she'd experienced in her short career and it was something she was definitely going to miss once the tour was over.

_Maybe I was stupid_

_For telling you goodbye_

_Maybe I was wrong for_

_Trying to pick a fight_

_I know that I've got issues_

_But you're pretty messed up too_

_Either way I found out_

_I'm nothing without you_

_Cos we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You've got a piece of me_

_And honestly_

_My life would suck_

_Without you_

At so many interviews she'd been asked if she'd ever been in the situation this song was about. She used to always claim she hadn't, that if someone broke her heart and ended their relationship, she wouldn't give them a second chance just to have them hurt her again, but that changed the day James turned up at her door. Though she'd turned him away there had been many days in the weeks that followed where she wondered if she'd made a mistake, wondered how things may have been had they gotten back together. She knew he screwed up a lot of things in her life, but that didn't mean all her feelings instantly disappeared the minute he dumped her. Two years later, she still couldn't claim she was fully over him.

_Being with you_

_Is so dysfunctional_

_I really shouldn't miss you_

_But I can't let you go_

_Oh yeah_

"Sing it!" She yelled to the audience as the chorus came around again. She smiled as she heard almost 15,000 people sing back to her.

_Cos we belong together now, yeah, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You got a piece of me_

_And honestly _

_My live would suck _

_Without you_

_Cos we belong together now _

_Together now_

_Forever united here somehow yeah_

_You got a piece of me_

_And honestly_

_My life would suck_

_Without you _

As the song ended he grinned. Standing only a few rows from the front he could see just how happy his girl was. He knew the song was about him, she only claimed it had nothing to do with her life because she wanted to keep it special, just between them. His smile grew as he realised that by the next day he would be with her again, she would be back in his arms. They did belong together after all.

**AN: So there you go, included all of Eliza's songs now! If you don't know, the song is 'My Life Would Suck Without You' by Kelly Clarkson and, having seen it live myself, it is amazing. Also, the story about being stuck in a field during a thunderstorm is true, it actually happened to me and I still sometimes slightly scream when thunderstorms occur because I was so scared that day. Please can you guys review. We're getting near the end but I do still want to know what you all think/improvements I could make. **


	31. Run Away Bus

**An: Thank you for all the reviews. Now for the penultimate chapter. Hope you like this one, its long but has lots of drama.**

**Also, just to clear things up for you, Nate is still the only Grey to know the truth. The bit in the elevator two chapters ago hints to this. **

"Great show guys. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning for the final day of the tour." Eric said as he left the gang in their hotel suite. With his final words the mood dramatically changed.

"I can't believe it's nearly over." Caitlyn sighed, leaning her head against Nate's chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't think two months have ever gone so fast." So much had changed for them all on the tour, to know that tomorrow night it would all be over, it was a fact they were trying to avoid.

"Two months ago I didn't even know you guys, now I can't imagine not having you in my life." Marie said sadly, leaning against Jason's shoulder.

"We'll still see each other loads," Jason reasoned, "don't think you can get rid of us that easily."

"It's not going to be the same though is it?" Mitchie asked, taking hold of Shane's hand. He gave hers a squeeze, trying to reassure her, but even he wasn't sure what was going to happen after tomorrow. Connect 3 had a world tour planned and the others had their own lives and careers to focus on. It would be four months until they were all back in the same country.

"Alright, stop. Tonight's not the night to be sad. Tonight we should be happy, celebrate what's happened over the last two months. We're all good friends, we took control of our lives _and_ we gave the fans some incredible performances." Eliza said, deciding the mood was getting too depressing.

They spent the rest of the night reminiscing, talking about their favourite shows, the best place they'd visited, the funniest bus incidents and where they would most want to do another show. One by one they headed to bed, eventually leaving only Marie and Jason sat on the sofas.

"You know this isn't goodbye, right?" Jason asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she leant her head against him.

"How can you be sure? Next week I go back to school. You keep being a world famous superstar. They're two different worlds, they don't work together." She sighed. She didn't want to lose her friendship with Jason but she didn't believe there was any way it would ever be the same as it had for the last two months.

"Hey, Ri, listen to me. We may have different lives and different dreams but we'll stay best friends. Trust me; I wouldn't let you get away." Jason said, lifting her head so she couldn't look anywhere but at him.

"We're going to be alright?" Marie asked, the determined look in his eyes easing the fear she felt at the prospect of this all ending.

"Definitely." Jason responded, pulling her into a hug. He'd make sure they were. No matter what, he didn't want to lose her.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Jason, we've found the perfect final toy!" Caitlyn said, rushing over to him. He'd allowed the girls to look and they'd been taking the job very seriously, closely inspecting every teddy the store owned. Jason followed Caitlyn to the others. As soon as he saw the one they were holding, he knew it was perfect. It was a stuffed blue elephant wearing a red coat and holding a microphone in its trunk.

"It's you in toy form!" Marie joked as Jason took it from her.

"The last bear and it isn't even a bear." He commented, walking over to the till.

"But it's cute!" Mitchie said. Although her music made her sound rather grown up, there were still moments when she was very child like.

After making their purchase they all gathered together, waiting for Eric to tell them the plan for their final bus journey.

"Okay, Nate, Mitchie, Marie and Caitlyn, bus 3. Miss Lane wants one final lesson with you before the end." The four of them groaned. "It's only an hour, stop complaining." Eric joked. "Jason, Shane and Eliza, you're on the girls' bus for this one I believe." They agreed before sharing a group hug.

"Our last journey and we don't even get to spend it together." Mitchie complained from the centre.

"We've got the rest of the day together, enjoy your last lesson. Just remember, it's better than actually having to go to school." Shane said, giving her a quick kiss before the group split, boarding the buses for the last time.

_CR-CR-CR_

"So I'll tell them tonight, before the show?" Eric said down the phone. "Yes, of course. I'll ask. Bye." He hung up. Although the tour was nearly over he was still hard at work. He'd been asked to stay on to manage the tour as it went worldwide, an offer he'd been more than happy to accept.

"Eric?" Tabitha said as she approached him on the bus they shared. "Nigel wants to talk to you. We've found out who the mole is." She explained. For the last few weeks private information about the tour had been escaping to the public and Eric had put a few of the more senior tour crew in charge of finding out how it was happening.

"Thanks Tabitha, send him in." Eric said, relieved that the mystery had been solved before the tour ended, meaning they would be able to deal with it easier. Nigel walked in, taking a seat opposite Eric, a concerned look on his face. "So, there was a mole after all?" Eric asked, rather calm, assuming it wouldn't be that big a deal. Nigel nodded nervously. "Who was it then?"

"Angela. That's why it was more information about the girls than the guys that was leaking." Nigel explained apprehensive about telling Eric the other piece of information they had just discovered.

_CR-CR-CR_

Eliza sat on the bus with Shane and Jason, all three of them staring out the windows watching signs for Los Angeles go by. She sighed. Part of her was glad to be returning home but part of her really didn't want to go back. She found herself wondering what was going to happen later that night. Would the Grey's actually tell their sons the truth or would she find herself having to tell them? She had a plan if it came to that, which included switching her final song with the one she had only finished writing days ago. She'd informed the band she wanted to change, they'd had a quick run through but she was hoping there'd be some extra practice time at the stadium.

"Guys," Shane said, "Weren't we supposed to be heading straight to LA?" He asked. The others nodded. "I think we just went the wrong way." He looked out the window again, only to see the other buses carrying on down a different road. "Yeah, we've definitely gone the wrong way."

"I wondered when you'd notice." An unfamiliar voice said through the speakers. It was a voice Eliza hadn't heard in a long time and it sent shivers down her spine.

"James?" She said, utterly confused.

"It's nice to hear from you again Eliza." James said from his position in the driver's cabin.

"Three things," Shane said, "Who the hell is 'James'? Why is he driving the bus and going the wrong way and how can he hear us when we aren't pressing 'talk' on the intercom?"

"That's four things." Jason commented.

"Really not the time." Eliza said before addressing Shane. "James is my ex boyfriend, why he's here is probably to do with me."

"Correct you are Lizzie." James said, using his old nickname for her. "How I've waited for this chance to be with you again. When Angela said she could help me out, I couldn't turn her down." He explained.

"James, what are you talking about?" Eliza asked while trying to get the others to remain quiet. She sensed that if this stayed between just her and James, things would work out better.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Where is Angela now?" Eric asked worriedly, sensing there was more to the situation than Nigel had yet told him.

"In the other office on this bus. We only found her out when the girls' bus drove off without her on it." Nigel explained, trying to slip the extra information in without making it into a big deal.

"Wait, you mean someone has hijacked one of our buses? Why didn't you tell me that first?" Eric yelled, leaping from his seat and rapidly dialling a number on his phone as a realisation hit him.

"Mark? It's Eric. Please tell me Eliza, Jason and Shane are on your bus?" He asked down the phone, hoping they'd decided to travel on a different bus.

"Nope, they're on Angela's, I've just got blissful silence." Mark responded

"Crap." It wasn't like Eric to swear but he felt that in the situation it was reasonable.

"Is everything alright?" Mark asked uncertainly.

"Eric?" Tabitha said, entering the office once more.

"I'll get back to you." Eric told Mark before hanging up. "What is it Tabitha?" He didn't mean to sound rude, he was just feeling slightly stressed.

"The girls' bus just went the wrong way." Tabitha said, explaining what she'd seen out of the window.

"What!" Eric yelled, "Nigel, I want you to bring Angela to me **now**, we need to know who's driving that bus and where they're going." Nigel fled from the room as Eric started to pace.

Nigel returned shortly after, a very pleased looking Angela beside him. She was made to sit down before Eric turned to face her.

"Who is driving that bus?" Eric asked, attempting to intimidate her. It wasn't successful.

"As if I'd tell." Angela scoffed; a nasty smirk covering her face. "Let's just say Eliza may regret breaking his heart, especially when he tries to break more than that of her."

"Tabitha, try and call their phones, see if we can get in touch with them. Nigel, keep an eye on her." Eric said before leaving the room, instantly dialling the police, unsure what else to do.

_CR-CR-CR_

"The money was easy to get. It's a shame your label doesn't pay its drivers better, then you might not be in this situation." James said as he finished explaining how he'd persuaded Angela to allow him to take control of the bus on this final journey.

"You listen to me kid, you're going to pull this bus over and let us off or you'll seriously regret it." Shane yelled.

"Ooh, _The_ Shane Grey attempting to threaten me, I'm so scared." James said sarcastically.. "You may be the 'bad boy' of the pop world in the press, but you're just a loser in reality. When I planned this I never thought I'd end up with not only my girl, but Shane and Jason Grey as well. I'm so very lucky." James remarked. "You know, Lizzie used to talk about the two of you all the time. Nate too. She hated you _so_ much. She'd always tell me how it wasn't fair, how you didn't deserve any of it." Jason and Shane looked at her, clearly unsure whether to believe him or not.

"James, shut up!" Eliza yelled, becoming rapidly more panicked about the situation.

"Oh Lizzie, have you not told them your little secret? You surprise me..."

"James, just listen to be okay? This whole thing is between me and you. Not Shane, not Jason, just us. Please just let them off then we can talk about this. Fix things. It doesn't have to be like this." Eliza was practically pleading to stop him telling her secret and to prevent the bus reaching its final destination. She had a sense that if it arrived wherever James was taking them, it wouldn't end well.

_CR-CR-CR_

"None of them are answering. Shane and Jason's are off and Eliza's keeps going to voice mail." Tabitha informed Eric. He sighed, frustrated.

"Those kids are normally glues to their phone and the one time we need them to answer, they can't even be bothered to turn them on."

"I think we need to tell the others." Nigel suggested.

"How will that be in any way helpful?" Eric asked.

"Maybe Marie will know who the guy is, what he wants. She might even know how to stop him." Tabitha suggested, knowing just how close the two Austen's were.

"Fine, tell them, but don't freak them out." Eric instructed Nigel who quickly dialled Miss Lane's number. "Tabitha, I need you to phone the stadium and warn them there may be complications with tonight's show." He started to pace again as Tabitha rushed out of the room.

"Hi Miss Lane, it's Nigel here, sorry to interrupt your lesson but we have a slight issue going on here and we need to bring it to you and your students' attention."

_CR-CR-CR_

"Carry on working, I'll me right back." Miss Lane excused herself.

"Right we we've got the chorus started, what next?" Marie asked. She and Mitchie had found they worked quite well as a team and their song was coming together quite well.

"May as well attempt the first verse I guess." Mitchie suggested as Miss Lane disappeared up the stairs.

"Did anyone else see the look on her face?" Nate asked.

"Yeah , she seemed kinda worried. What do you thinks going on?" Caitlyn replied, slightly concerned. The others shrugged.

"If it's anything to do with us I'm sure she'll let us know." Mitchie said, not feeling too worried.

"How about this?" Marie asked, writing down some possible lyrics. Mitchie read through them, smiling at what Marie was clearly trying to say in her song.

"Nate, when are you going to tell them?" Caitlyn whispered to her boyfriend as she leaned over to see him writing another new song which she assumed would be assigned to his new project.

"I just want to get a few more songs written and then I will. I need them to see I'm serious about this otherwise they'll just dismiss it." Nate explained as he continued to write new lyrics. He knew Miss Lane set them a task but when inspiration hit, he couldn't ignore it.

"They'll support your idea Nate, just give them the chance." He was about to respond when Miss Lane retuned, a very concerned look on her face.

"I need to talk to you all." She explained. Taking a seat opposite them she explained the situation.

"We have to get them off there!" Mitchie exclaimed when their tutor had finished.

"They're doing everything they can to get the bus to stop and the police are trying to set up a blockade." Miss Lane turned her attention to the young Austen, "Marie, is there any information you can think of which might help us stop the hijacker? Can you think of any ex-boyfriend's of your sister who might do something like this?"

"Yeah, I know exactly who it could be. His name is James, they broke up a while back but he tried to get her back." Marie stopped, as if realisation was hitting her. "Wait, which road did you say they were on?"

"The Pacific Coast Highway, heading towards Laguna Beach. Do you know where he's driving them to?" Panic filled Marie.

"I think so. He used to take her there all the time. You've got to get them off that bus as soon as you can or this could all end very badly." Marie said gravely, sensing what James' plan was.

_CR-CR-CR_

"I'm sorry Lizzie but they're part of this now, I can't just let them go. But don't worry, we're nearly at our destination, then it'll all stop and we can be together forever." James said as the bus sped up, his tone making the three pop stars very nervous.

"I'm so sorry guys. You shouldn't be involved in this." Eliza said. With every passing second her fear was growing. She glanced out the window, noticing a familiar sign. He heart started to pound in anxiety. She remembered all the times they used to come up here. The conversations they'd shared, things they'd agreed on back when they were madly in love. She'd never thought James would actually take things that far. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She felt helpless. She knew if she didn't do something soon, she may never get to see the people she loved again, but she was at a loss as to what to do. Her mind was blank.

"We're going to get out of this, don't worry, we'll be fine." Jason comforted her, seeing the tears escaping from her eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around her protectively. Shane looked at his brother and the girl who had become a very good friend of his and decided it was time he took action.

"James, don't do this." He said, slowly crossing the bus to the kitchen area, trying to appear casual. "You and Eliza can sit down and talk about everything, maybe resolve whatever it is that happened between the two of you." He glanced at Eliza.

"I'll take you back James, that's what you want isn't it? We can be together again, just like we used to be. Forget all this. You just need to pull this bus over, then we can sort everything out." Eliza said, hoping to calm him down. She didn't want to be with him but if that was what it took to save their lives, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. She noticed the camera in the corner of the room and walked right up to it, hoping she may be able to distract him if she spoke directly into it, give the other two and chance to get somewhere else in the bus. "Come on James. You and me, together. We could be happy." She said, staring straight into the camera.

"Lizzie..." James sighed. Shane took his chance. Hoping Eliza was distracting him from the other camera screens he grabbed a kitchen towel from the top and flung it over the camera beside him, leaving James unable to see him.

"Me and you forever, just like we always planned." Eliza batted her eyelashes, knowing it was a move James couldn't resist. Shane hurriedly opened the cupboards, smiling in victory as he pulled out a frying pan. Jason stared at his brother in confusion but as he saw Shane moving towards the driver's cabin he realised what he was doing.

Shane positioned himself next to the door. He turned the handle and, to his luck, the door slowly opened.

"What do you think you're doing?" James yelled as he noticed the middle Grey approach him. Eliza and Jason froze to their spots in apprehension before being thrown to the ground seconds later as they felt to bus swerve uncontrollably. Eliza held her breath, waiting for the end to come.

_CR-CR-CR_

Bus 3 pulled up outside the stadium and within an instant Marie leapt off it and over to the anxiously awaiting Eric.

"What's going on? Where are they? Are they okay?" She threw questions at him as the others joined her side, worried faces all round.

"We're not exactly sure. We lost track of them but the police are doing everything they can to find them and stop James. Everything will be alright." He said, trying to sound confident. Mitchie grabbed Marie's hand, the two girls were the worst of the group, knowing the bus contained both best friends and loved ones.

"Eric, there's a call for you." Tabitha yelled from the doorway of the other waiting bus. He excused himself before rushing away.

"What if they don't stop them. You guys don't know James. When he and Eliza made that promise to each other, he was serious. Eliza only agreed because she was so in love. What if he goes over the edge. Literally. They'll..." Marie trailed off as her sobs stopped her ability to speak. The other three gathered around her and they hugged, unsure what the next few minutes could result in.

_CR-CR-CR_

There were screams and shouts, before the clear sound of a pan hitting someone rang out through the bus. Eliza was frozen to her spot, her face to the ground, eyes screwed shut, awaiting the falling motion. Silence filled the bus.

"Are you okay?" Jason whispered from beside her a few moments later. She stayed still, not wanting to know if her brain was tricking her.

"Liza? It's okay. We've stopped. We're safe." She heard Shane say before feeling two sets of hands gently pulling her from the ground and into a hug. She started to cry. She was okay. It was over.

"What about James?" She whispered.

"I knocked him out. The police are here now; they're taking care of him." Eliza pulled away, looking at the two guys stood looking at her with concerned eyes. "I'm so sorry." She whispered ashamedly.

"You don't have to be. As long as you're okay, then it's fine." Jason said sympathetically. Eliza sighed. She'd nearly got them killed yet here they were, not even angry, just worried about whether or not she was okay.

"I'm fine, bit shaken up, but alright." She assured them before taking a seat on the sofa. A police man joined them on the bus shortly afterwards, asking a few questions before leading them off.

As they walked to the car waiting for them nearby Eliza caught sight of James sat in the back of one of the other cars. He was still unconscious, with a huge bruise forming on his forehead.

"I used to love you." She whispered to him.

"Come on Liza, we need to get going." Shane said from beside the car as Jason took her hand and helped her into the back seat. The sirens started and they were rapidly escorted back to the stadium.


	32. Before The Finale

**AN: I know I said that the final chapter would be up today and it will, just in two parts (second part will be up in a few hours). I wanted to upload it all as one but as the final chapter came to a total of over 5,000 words I decided to split it. So you can either read it as one long chapter or two reasonable length ones. Enjoy! **

_**CR-CR-CR**_

"Marie, stop pacing, they'll be here any minute." Caitlyn said, trying to calm her friend down. They'd been informed shortly before arriving at the stadium that Shane had taken over the bus and they were safely on their way back.

"Fine." Marie slumped onto the sofa. She couldn't help it, she'd been really worried. All she wanted to do was see her friends, just to be certain they were okay.

Minutes later the door opened and Jason, Eliza and Shane found themselves engulfed by the others.

"Guys, it's okay, you can let go now, we'd actually like to get into the room." Eliza joked as she pulled away from the others.

"Don't ever do that to us again!" Nate said as he joined Eliza on the sofas.

"I don't plan on it." She sighed, "I'm _so_ sorry guys."

"What did we tell you about apologising?" Jason asked as the rest of the gang came to join them. "I swear that's like that tenth time you've said sorry in the last ten minutes."

"I know but, I almost got you guys _killed_, I can't help apologising." Eliza reasoned.

"But you didn't, we're fine and now we have to put on the most amazing show _ever_." Shane said. The others agreed. No matter what, the US leg of the 'Play My Music' tour was going to go out with a bang.

"Hey Eliza, I know you just got back but they want you on stage for sound check and the band want to run the end of the set a few times for practise." Tabitha said as she entered the room, clipboard in hand in full on assistant mode.

"Thanks, I'll be right there." She said, grabbing a bottle of water from the side. "Can you guys stay here, no listening in tonight, okay?" The others reluctantly agreed before she slipped from the room, glad that despite the disruption she would still have time to practise her new song.

"I'm very proud of you being so brave." Mitchie said, taking Shane's hand in hers.

"It was nothing. Someone had to do something so I stepped up." Shane replied, less than modestly. Jason looked down guilty. He was feeling quite bad about the fact that he hadn't done anything to help. Marie noticed this and slipped her hand into his before whispering to him;

"Liza said you stayed with her whilst Shane was being "brave", I'm glad she had someone with her. Thank you." She smiled gently at him, hoping to make him feel better.

_CR-CR-CR_

"2 hours until the final show." Shane sighed as he collapsed on the sofa. They'd just finished their final sound check and it was sinking in that by the end of the day the tour would be over and they would go their separate ways.

"Eliza, why weren't we allowed to hear your sound check today?" Jason asked, intrigued by her mysterious request earlier.

"I'm performing a new song tonight and I didn't want you guys to hear it before the show. It's a surprise." She explained. They'd run the song twice successfully and Eliza felt much more confident about it now. No matter what happened tonight, whether the Grey's followed her instructions or not, she'd follow through with what she had planned. The girls were instructed to make sure the guys were by the side of the stage before she started her last song, so she knew they'd hear it.

"Ah good, you're all here." Eric said as he walked in, a large smile on his face. "You excited for tonight's show?" The group nodded, though they were sad to be reaching the end, they wanted it to be the best show of the tour. "Excellent. Don't forget the show is being filmed tonight for a DVD release, so make sure you're at the top of your game." They'd only been told a few days ago that the show was being filmed, the label thought they could make a lot of money selling copies to those who had failed to get tickets.

"Now, I need to borrow Eliza and Mitchie if that's okay?" Eric asked before leading the girls out of the room and into a small office. "Have you guys enjoyed being on this tour?" He asked them once they'd taken a seat.

"Definitely, I don't want it to end." Mitchie said. A smile crept onto Eric's face.

"What if I told you it didn't have to? Not tonight at least." The girls exchanged a look, both sensing they knew what he was talking about.

"Are you serious?" Eliza asked in disbelief.

"I spoke to the label execs earlier and they've been very impressed by the audiences' response to the two of you." Eric explained, before going on to inform the girls of the deal they were being offered.

_CR-CR-CR_

The girls rushed back to the dressing room, excited to tell the guys their news. When they walked in they noticed everyone sat in silence apart from Nate who was pacing back and forth whilst talking into his phone.

"Who's he on the phone to?" Eliza asked as she sat beside her sister, joining the others watching Nate pace.

"Guess." Marie said, her negative tone hinting to Eliza is was someone she wouldn't like on the other end.

"Yeah mom, okay. No, we'll have time. In an hour? That's fine; just make sure you get someone to tell us when you arrive. Okay. Yeah, see you later. Bye." Nate said, finishing up his phone call rapidly.

"The Grey's?" Eliza whispered to Marie, who nodded in response.

"What was that about?" Shane asked, not happy about what he'd just heard his brother say. "Please don't tell me they're coming here."

"Okay." Nate said, sitting down and saying nothing more. The others gave him an expectant look. "What, Shane told me not to tell him." Nate stated jokingly, only to be lightly hit by Caitlyn. "They'll be here in an hour."

"Why didn't you tell them we were too busy to see them or that we couldn't have any visitors tonight?" Shane complained.

"I couldn't just lie to them Shane, they're still our parents, no matter how annoying they are." Nate argued.

"Well you could, though they wouldn't be happy. Why do they need to come anyway?" Jason asked. Like his younger brother, he'd been hoping to have at least one more night before having to see his parents again.

"Apparently there's something really important they need to talk to us about and it _has_ to be before the show tonight. Mom wouldn't say what, just that they'd tell us when they got here." Nate explained. The girls exchanged a look, pretty certain they knew what it was that was so important.

"I bet it's not even that big a deal. They probably just want to tell us about some event they expect us to go to. Couldn't we just not turn up?" Shane suggested. Tonight was their last night with their friends, he didn't want to waste it having to deal with his parents.

"It sounded really urgent actually." Nate said. He had been filled in by the girls about Eliza's threat after he realised the truth and, though he was quite doubtful his parents would ever do something someone else asked of them, he was more than hopeful that they were coming to tell them the truth. He was determined, for that reason, to make sure his brothers came along.

"Fine, we'll talk to them, but the minute it turns out it's not actually important, I'm walking out." Shane stated. He was getting to the point that he would be perfectly happy to stop talking to his parents altogether because of their constant interference.

"Well, if we're meeting them in an hour then there's something I have to do now." Jason said, standing up, "I'll be right back." He told them, walking out the room.

"I'm not even going to ask." Marie stated, unsure what Jason was up to. She'd learnt that there were times with Jason it was better to just ignore it.

"Now he's gone we can't tell you our good news." Mitchie said, slightly sadly. They'd planned to walk straight in and inform them all together, clearly that wasn't possible anymore.

"What good news?" Shane asked.

"If we told you, it wouldn't be fair on Jason. We'll tell you all when he gets back." Eliza explained.

"Yeah just bring them in here; I'll sort out whose is whose." Jason instructed Tabitha minutes later as she followed him into the room.

"Do you want the others wrapped?" She asked him as she placed two bags on the floor near the sofas.

"Can you find a giant box and put them all in it then wrap that box?" Jason asked hopefully.

"I'll see what I can do." Tabitha said before walking out again.

"What's all this?" Caitlyn asked looking at the four gift bags Jason had just brought into the room.

"You'll see." Jason said. He looked into the bags, trying to decide which one to give first. He picked up the lime green bag before turning to face the others.

"Right, as you know throughout the tour I've been buying cuddly toys and whilst the majority are going to a children's' hospital, I thought you girls should have one each to remember your first ever tour by." He explained. The girls all 'awed' in sync.

"Jase, that's so sweet!" Mitchie said. Jason smiled, glad they were happy about this.

"Caitlyn, you're first." He handed the bag over. Caitlyn pulled out the tissue paper which was hiding her gift then lifted the soft toy out. It was a brown cow with horns and soft, scruffy fur. Caitlyn smiled.

"This is so me!" She said, causing the others to laugh. She hugged and thanked Jason. Next it was Mitchie's turn. He handed her a small red bag inside which was a fluffy grey mouse, with large floppy ears. She hugged it to her chest happily.

"I'm going to call it Squeak." She informed him. She named all of her cuddly toys.

"Let me guess, if it had been a horse you would've called it 'neigh'?" Shane teased.

"Maybe." Mitchie said, blushing in embarrassment. "It's adorable, thank you Jason."

Then it was Eliza's turn. He handed her the largest bag.

"This is partially a birthday present too, that's why it's so big." He explained, not wanting the others to be offended. Eliza looked inside the bag and squealed happily before pulling out a giant white polar bear which was nearly half her height.

"Jason, he's gorgeous. Thank you so much." She said, giving Jason a bear hug, her new toy assisting her.

"I couldn't resist him, he wouldn't stop staring at me, begging to be bought." Jason explained as he ruffled the bear's fur before picking up the remaining gift back and walking over to Marie. "Last, but not least." He said, handing it over. She reached her hand in and when she pulled out the small teddy she nearly started to cry, throwing her arms around him in joy.

"You're the best ever! I can't believe you bought me this." She exclaimed. In her hands was the tiny teddy she'd picked up in the rose garden, a yellow rose with red tip clutched firmly in its paw. She'd only made a simple comment about it, yet he'd remembered and bought it for her.

As Jason saw how happy she was, he smiled proudly. This had been the most important of all the soft toys he'd bought and, though he wouldn't let Marie know it, he'd discovered that the symbolism behind the rose the bear came with matched his own feelings for her.

"I'm taking this with me everywhere." She told him.

_CR-CR-CR_

"You're really not going to let me have a choice about this, are you?" Shane asked as his younger brother pushed him down the hallway. They'd been informed that their parents had arrived and Nate insisted that they go straight away, stating that the sooner they went, the sooner it would be over with.

"Nope, no choice at all." Nate responded. Shane sighed. They arrive outside the door to the room their parents had been put in and paused apprehensively.

"If this turns out to be a massive waste of time I'm walking straight back out of here." Shane stated. Jason nodded in agreement but stayed silent. Between Nate's strange insistence and their parents' unplanned visit, he sensed this family meeting could be rather more important than the three of them expected.

"I think that's reasonable." Nate said before knocking on the door.


	33. Goodnight and Goodbye

"I still don't think we should tell them. They're still young, they won't know how to deal with this information." Paul complained to his wife, who had insisted they come tonight.

"Do you really think she won't tell them later?" Denise asked, her view on the matter quite clear.

"I think it's better to call her bluff than to let her win." He argued back, not happy they were allowing a twenty-one year old to tell them what to do.

"Paul, face it, though she may never claim to be by name, she is a Grey and if she's anything like her father, or her brothers for that matter, she'll be determined to go through with this. Even if we aren't happy about it, it's better to tell them ourselves than to let her tell them with a whole bunch of lies thrown in." Paul sighed in defeat. "We knew it would happen eventually." Denise said sadly. She was well aware of the possibility that once they told their sons the truth their relationship would be ruined for a long time. And while she still believed that, at the time, they'd made the right decision, she was beginning to think they should have told the truth sooner.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts and she sighed sadly before opening the door to reveal her three sons stood waiting impatiently.

"There are my boys." She said cheerfully, pulling them into a hug before allowing them to enter.

"What's so important that it couldn't possibly wait until after the show?" Shane asked, getting straight to the point.

"Perhaps you boys should sit." Paul suggested, gesturing to the nearby sofa. Nate and Jason followed his instruction but Shane refused, insisting he'd prefer to stand.

"We need to talk to you about Eliza." Denise said after a brief silence. She wasn't sure exactly how to explain everything.

"Look, if you brought us in here to have a go about one of our best friends, I don't want to hear it." Shane said, ready to start a fight about anything.

"Shane, just let your mother explain." Paul chided from his position beside his wife.

"There's something you need to know. She isn't who you think she is." Denise said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She isn't an Austen. Well she is, but not really. She wasn't born one."

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, confused. Denise sighed, knowing she had to tell them directly.

"Eliza's adopted. The Austen's took her in because... because..."

"Because _we_ couldn't raise her." Paul interrupted, wanting the explanation out in the open. The guys' reactions were completely different. Nate remained blank, waiting for more of an explanation. Jason looked confused, unsure what his parents were trying to tell him, whilst Shane looked furious.

"You lied to us." He yelled. "For our entire lives you've lied to us!"

"Shane, sweetie, we weren't expecting her and we didn't know what else we could do. It was the only choice we had." Denise tried desperately to explain. Shane glared at her before turning on his heel and storming out, slamming the door behind him.

"I'm sorry," Jason piped up moments later, "I'm confused." He sensed he should be annoyed but he wasn't sure why. Denise took a seat beside her oldest child, knowing this would affect him the most. She took his hand gently in hers.

"Jason, when you were born, there was a complication. The doctors didn't tell us, they didn't realise. When we had you, we couldn't support two children, we weren't prepared for it. We'd been so excited to be having a son, but to have a daughter as well, with no warning, it was too much. The Austen's were so great, they wanted a child so much and we thought Eliza would be better with them. I'm so sorry Jason, I'm sorry you had to grow up without your twin but we didn't know what else to do." Tears dropped from her eyes as Jason pulled his hand away.

"All this time she really _was_ my twin?" He asked, shocked. Paul nodded sadly. "I don't think I want to talk to you anymore. You had no right to keep that a secret." He said before walking away. At that moment he never wanted to see them again.

The room was silent. Nate sat staring at the ground. Though he'd already known the truth, it didn't make hearing it direct from his parents any easier.

"Why?" He eventually asked in almost a whisper.

"We thought it was for the best." Paul stated while Denise continued to cry.

"Then why didn't you get her back before you had Shane?" Nate yelled, a rarity for the youngest Grey. "Or at least bother to tell us. We had a right to know but _no_, as always you had to have control. Would you ever have told us if she hadn't asked you to?" His parents looked at him shocked. "Yeah, I know she told you to tell us. She tried to hide it, so don't go blaming her. This is all your fault. You screwed up." He stated before walking to the door.

"Nathan." Paul said, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and stop him. Nate shrugged it off before turning to his dad, a look of anger clear upon his face.

"Its Nate dad, it has been for years. For once you need to listen to me. I don't care what _you_ think is for the best or what _you_ want, it's _our_ lives, mine, Jason's, Shane and Eliza's and I'm pretty sure we don't want you in them anymore. You need to leave. Now." With that he walked away, wiping tears from his eyes as he returned to the dressing room.

_CR-CR-CR_

The girls sat quietly in the dressing room, all thoughts focused on the conversation occurring between the guys and their parents. Eliza nervously fiddled with the star charm on her bracelet, questioning if she did the right thing, unsure how her brothers would react.

Marie glanced from her sister to Mitchie and then Caitlyn. The three of them had the same nervous look. Marie decided to try and lighten the mood.

"How weird would it be if the three of you end up as sisters-in-law?" She asked. The other three looked at each other before laughing.

"I think it's a bit early for that." Mitchie said, twisting her promise ring around her finger. Sure, she and Shane had talked about it, but never seriously.

"We could all be related one day." Caitlyn said, looking pointedly as Marie.

"Never going to happen." She responded with a smile.

"You never know." Eliza said. She was about to continue when the door was flung open and a furious Shane walked in.

"I can't believe them." He yelled. Mitchie approached him, wrapping her arms around him slowly.

"It's okay baby." She said gently, lifting his chin so he looked her in the eyes before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His eyes lingered on hers a while before drifting across to where Eliza was stood.

"Do you know?" He asked his sister, his tone suddenly gentler. Eliza nodded, her voice failing her. Shane moved away from Mitchie, crossing the room slowly before engulfing Eliza in a hug. They stayed like that a moment before Shane pulled back and smiled.

"So, I have an older sister." He stated. "That's not something I thought I'd be saying for the first time at the age of eighteen."

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner." She said sadly.

"What have I told you about the word sorry?" Shane joked.

"Sorry." Eliza said accidentally, causing laughter to once more fill the room. "How are the others taking it?" She asked after explaining how she'd found out.

"I have no idea. I stormed out before I think it really clicked with them." He was surprised the others hadn't followed him sooner. "It'll be alright Liza, we couldn't have asked for anyone better to be our secret sister." He could tell she was more than a little concerned about their reactions. "I still don't know how you managed to keep quiet about it all this time, any of you."

"It wasn't easy, believe me." Mitchie said. At that moment the door creaked open and a very uncertain looking Jason entered the room.

"Liza?" He said quietly. She got up and walked to him.

"Yeah?" She responded apprehensively, not sure how he would react.

"Twins?" He asked, seemingly unable to talk in more than one word sentences.

"Yeah." She nodded, a small smile creeping across her face. And then he rushed at her, grabbing her round the waist and picking her up in a moment of glee. Sure, he was angry at his parents, but it couldn't have worked out better. He finally had the twin he'd always wanted and she was one of his best friends.

As he put Eliza down Jason's eyes locked with Marie's. He smiled at her and she reciprocated, though she couldn't keep the sadness from her eyes. He gave her a questioning look but she shook her head. She was happy for her sister, and for the others, but she felt out of place. They all had some sort of connection, especially now they knew the truth. She was just the 'other' one, no true relationship with them. Eliza would try to keep things the same but ultimately Marie knew it wasn't going to happen. Things would change, no matter how hard they tried to stop it.

"So where's Nate?" Caitlyn asked when the third Grey hadn't returned.

"I thought he'd be right behind me." Jason said, looking behind him in case his brother had appeared. "He was _really_ quiet. I guess he's still talking to them."

It wasn't long until he joined them.

"I'm glad they finally told us." Nate said as he released Eliza from a hug. "I told them to leave us alone. I hope that's okay?" He asked his brothers uncertainly.

"So they've left?" Eliza asked.

"They will have soon, if not already." He explained. Eliza thought for a moment before excusing herself. She walked down the hallway towards the back exit. As she turned the final corner she saw them near the door.

"Wait!" She called, rushing down the corridor. She didn't know what was compelling her, but she felt she had to talk to them. Seconds later she came face to face with her parents for only the second time in her life. "Thank you." She said before they could say anything. "I know it can't have been easy." She could see the sadness etched on their faces and for a brief moment she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"You were right." Paul said, shocking Eliza. "They may never talk to us again, but they deserved to know." Eliza saw the tears run down Denise's cheeks. She placed her hand on her birth mother's arm, hoping to provide some comfort.

"They might be angry now, but they will forgive you eventually." She said, knowing that even though her brothers were stubborn, they would give in, even if it took some persuasion on her part. "And who knows, maybe one day _we_ can get to know each other." She said, giving them a small smile before walking away. 'People always deserve second chances' She thought.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Do you know what's really unfair?" Jason asked once Eliza had rejoined them. The others shook their heads. "We get our sister back just at the point where we won't get to spend any time with her." Eliza and Mitchie shared a sly glance before Eliza spoke up.

"Don't worry Jase, we'll have plenty of time for family bonding over the next few months."

"No we won't because we'll be in different places with different time zones." Jason complained.

"Not if Mitchie and I are going with you." She stated simply.

"You're coming?" Shane asked, leaping up and wrapping his arms around Mitchie.

"They offered us the spots this afternoon." Mitchie explained before Shane's lips attacked hers.

"This is going to be so cool." Jason said, high-fiving his sister. Nate glanced at the two younger girls who didn't look as excited as the others. He shared a sad smile with them. He was well aware that neither Marie nor Caitlyn would be coming along, both having schools they had to return to.

"You do realise the press is going to be hell after they get hold of this and it won't take them long to do so." Nate said, changing the topic.

"Why do the press have to ruin everything?" Jason moaned.

"Why don't we have a little fun with it before hand?" Eliza suggested mischievously.

"Sounds like someone has a plan." Shane said. Eliza nodded before launching into an explanation.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Ri, wait up." Jase said. He was following the others to watch Eliza's final song, having been informed that it was of the utmost importance that they all saw it. Jason knew that things would be a bit hectic after the show, with the press and the after party. He wanted a chance to talk to Marie before all that. She waited for him, dropping back from the rest of the group so they were alone.

"What's up?" She asked as he linked his arm through hers and they continued on slowly towards the stage.

"I just want you to know I'm really glad you came on this tour. Eliza may be my sister, but you'll always be my best friend." He explained.

"You're mine too Jase." She said, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't shake the feeling that no matter how much they tried to avoid it, tonight would be goodbye.

Jason heard the sadness in her voice and stopped walking. He moved her so she was directly in front of him. He reached out to her, wiping her tears away before cupping her cheek in his hand.

"_Cos I could comb across the world, see everything and never be satisfied, if I couldn't see those eyes."_ He sang softly to her. "We'll be fine Ri. Trust me." He looked down at her and they shared a smile, their eyes locking. Jason took a deep breath, it was now or never. He leaned closer, never breaking eye contact. He was inches from her, their lips nearly touching, when she turned her head. She placed a gentle peck on his cheek before grabbing his hand and pulling him quickly towards the stage.

"Come on, we don't want to be late." She called over her shoulder, trying to keep her voice steady.

_CR-CR-CR_

"Since you've been such a good audience, how would you like to hear a brand new song?" Eliza called from her position on stage. The crowd cheered in excitement, "This is the first time I've performed it. I hope you like it." She glanced at the side of the stage to see the others gathered together excitedly. She smiled as the music started, wrapping her hand tightly around the microphone.

_Let's go back_

_Back to the beginning_

_Back to when the earth, the sun, the stars all aligned_

_Cos perfect _

_Didn't feel so perfect_

_Trying to fit a square into a circle was my life_

_I defy _

_Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away my sanity_

_Cos I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down_

_I'm coming clean _

_I'm coming clean_

_I'm shedding_

_Shedding every colour_

_Trying to find a pigment of truth beneath my skin, oh_

_Cos different_

_Doesn't feel so different_

_And going out is better than always staying in_

_Feel the wind_

_Let the rain fall down_

_And wake my dreams_

_Let it wash away _

_My sanity _

_Cos I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down_

_I'm coming clean_

_I'm coming clean_

_Rain fall down_

_I'm coming clean_

_Let the rain fall_

_Let the rain fall_

_I'm coming_

_Let the rain fall down_

_And wake my dream_

_Let it wash away_

_My sanity_

_Cos I wanna feel the thunder_

_I wanna scream_

_Let the rain fall down _

_I'm coming clean_

_Oh I'm coming clean_

_Oh I'm coming clean_

_Let the rain fall_

_Let the rain fall_

_Let the rain fall_

_I'm coming clean_

_Let's go back_

_Back to the beginning_

As the final chord rang out in the Staples Centre the crowd erupted into life, screams and cheers filling the auditorium.

"I take it you like it?" Eliza said, laughing. She'd never received such a strong reaction after a first performance. She smiled, taking in the atmosphere, her first tour of American about to end. Then she lifted the microphone to her lips, knowing what she was about to say would create havoc among the fans and the press.

"You guys have been incredible. Now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the band you all came here to see. So please, give it up, for _my_ brothers, Connect 3!" Most of the crowd would assume nothing of the words, but she knew there'd be people instantly jumping on them, trying to get the story first. The truth was out there, there was no stopping it.

The guys ran on stage, sharing a family hug before Eliza walked away, waving to the crowd one more time before disappearing to the side. Her tour was over, for now.

Connect 3 picked up their instruments and Nate turned to the crowd.

"I don't know about you but I just want to play my music."

_CR-CR-CR_

**AN: There you have it guys. The End. Did you like it? Was it what you were expecting? I know there were things I didn't quite resolve but if you want a sequel (do you?) I had to leave some things open. I'll get working on the sequel now, unless you all say you don't want one. I also have another story idea I'm working on, so that may come your way soon depending on timing.**

**I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story and an even bigger thank you to those who reviewed. Every single one made me smile so much. This is the longest writing task I've ever taken on and when I started I never imagined it would be this developed. For all the ideas, opinions, inspiration and everything else, thank you and if you have the time please let me know what you think of this final chapter and the story as a whole.**

**Also, there are bonus points for those of you who can notice the hints I gave towards the final song (Come Clean – Hilary Duff) throughout the story. There are a few in older chapters, so see what you can find!**

**Once more, thank you. **

**Jenny.**


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